Seriously, WTF?
by sirensoundwave
Summary: He was sooo going to rip the beauty jewel off of de Nile's face and take sadistic joy in watching as the absence of it's magic leaves her reanimated corpse to wither away to dust and bandages in designer heels. As soon as he was no longer staring down the barrel of several loaded guns.
1. Seriously, WTF!

I have no explanation for or defense of this fic. Other than my plunnie folder runneth over.

Seriously soliciting advice for dealing with persistent plot bunnies though. Really, this is becoming a thing for me.

So, timeline. Post Avengers on the Marvel side. Pretty much anytime after Friday Night Frights for Monster High. I will be blending elements of the book (for real world applications of certain things) with the animation (because I like the characterization better). Why? For one, sometimes you feel like a pun, sometimes you don't. As much of a language history nerd as I am some of the terms used in the animation I find clever but most irritate the shit out of me. Example: Bite-centennial = Bicentennial. So what's the equivalent of Tricentennial in the Monster World? They uses some wordplay so much it makes no sense other than being wordplay. The only time it does is as slang or teen speak. Its a really specific thing in a franchise designed to sell merchandise to preeteens and teens that bothers me.

I told you I'm weird.

Are you still reading this?

Really?

Okay, the usual warnings apply with me writing this thing. On with the show.

*WTF*

He was sooo going to rip the beauty jewel off of de Nile's face and take sadistic joy in watching as the absence of it's magic leaves her reanimated corpse to wither away to dust and bandages in designer heels. As soon as he was no longer staring down the barrel of several loaded guns. From behind his boyfriend who was making this utterly terrifying hissing/growling noise while keeping him behind his back; fangs bared, talons poised to strike. With one of the guys pointing a firearm at them trying to hide the fact that his knees were shaking from the sound and sight.

This was ridiculous. No, beyond ridiculous.

A minute ago, he'd been trying to apply his skills as a mad scientist to help a friend not be late for everything under the sun anymore. Robecca's internal chronometer had always been a bit wonky but after her accident it was basically scrap. Ghoulia maybe the smartest ghoul in school but he had the highest marks of any of the guys and was just as brilliant. She'd had no luck crafting a new one. He offered to give it a go. Mr. Hack overheard them talking and offered him extra credit if he proved successful. What self respecting nerd refuses E.C.?

The two of them shared a lab in the catacombs pretty well. Mostly because the majority of his experiments and projects were actually done at home whereas Ghoulia didn't have that option. Her folks were medical doctors but their house wasn't designed to accommodate the type of facility she needed. His basement on the other hand had been specially remodelled (to standards that impressed even ) in order to withstand a wide array of disasters that could result from his work. In hindsight, if he had been doing this in his own lab, the equipment he set up to monitor bizarre energy fluxes totally would have shut this shit down before it got going.

Then again Nefera would not have been in his god damned house to begin with...

Okay, let's back up some.

Over spring break, Deuce and Cleo split up. A big scoop for Spectra's blog and the talk of the school when everyone got back. The thing is it was entirely mutual. Both realized some hard truths about themselves and discussed them at length while in Miami.

For Cleo it was that she was attracted to Deuce's status-not him per say. It had been why she broke up with Clawd. The werewolf boy was athletic, smart (when he chose to be) and popular but not very wealthy or of particular influence outside of school. Deuce was all of those going for him. His family, like hers, was ancient and had accumulated a lot of valuables over the centuries. Unlike hers though, they weren't about flaunting it. And because of that she didn't know that also like her, he was royalty. Turns out their return visits to Greece were to where their family was still held in regal standing by monster and man alike. The reason he didn't talk much about it? "My dad and my granddad are both colossal dicks. Our history is complicated."*

When she found out she was ecstatic. And then she realized why she was so happy. Then felt terrible. All this time she's been trying to prove to her father that he was worthy to date his youngest child. That he wasn't some commoner she could do better than. Now she had something the couldn't snub his nose at. And it didn't feel like a win. Despite literally having it all, she had nothing in common with him when you really got down to it. She hated pretty much any physical activity or manual labor that didn't make her look good. He liked music, cooking and could not stand being in a mall. Neither gave a wit about that the other did for enjoyment. But the star athlete and the head cheerleader were supposed to date. Right?

For Deuce it was some of the above. And no longer being able to deny the fact that he was no more interested in ladyparts than Cleo was on working for a living. It didn't help that since Jackson transferred, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about the cute monster in a human looking package. The epitome of adorkable, having one of the world's worst cases of dissociative identity disorder only made him more attractive for some reason. So when he cornered said 'human' and kissed him in the catacombs, he was pleasantly surprised that he kissed back.

Then when Operetta and Johnny's latest duet filled the area, Holt punched him in the face. He and Frankie hadn't been a thing for a while. His issue was that Cleo and him were still together at the time, the week before spring break even started. Holt admitted both he and Jackson were attracted to him. He just didn't like the idea of the gorgon leading his other side or him on as a dirty little secret. The fiery monster wasn't exactly a fan of Cleo but he respected her enough not to go behind her back with her boyfriend. No matter how badly he wanted to jump his bones and ride him like a pony.

Of course Jackson was horrified to learn Holt told him about their crush in such a lewd way when school started after vacation.. Even more so that Holt's forceful attitude turned Deuce on. Just as much as Jackson's embarrassed stammering and flushed face. Which resulted in a study session turned makeout session on Deuce's bed during which...Deuce bit him. Hard.

"What the hell?!" He screamed, covering his neck. "God I'm bleeding!"

At first, all the gorgon did was watch him freak out. He licked the blood off his own lips, then pulled the flailing teen's hand away so he could lap at what flowed from the broken skin. Gently sucking at the wound. A not at all pained moan from the smaller boy make him snap out of the weird daze.

"Shit! I'm sorry!" It was his turn to panic. Why the fuck had he done that?! Biting people wasn't normally how one showed affection (he wasn't a vampire OR Viperine for Gods' sake!). There was also the issue that he knew his fangs contained venom poisonous to humans. Jackson was at least part human! He could die! Mama Hyde would beat him into a bloody pulp for hurting her boy(s). Who the hell was gonna to stop her?!

"D-Deuce? I feel really hot..."

"Oh man..." Jackson's pale skin was bright red, his two toned hair clung to his sweaty face. The poor boy's breathing erratic. The heat rolling off of him overwhelming his infrared senses as he clung to him panting. The Jekyll boy's temperature always hovered quite a bit higher than the human average, his Hyde side even higher but this couldn't possibly be healthy.

Alarmed, Deuce raced out of his room screaming for his mother. Embarrassment temporarily taking a back seat to the potential danger to his friend's life. To his confusion, she didn't call 911. Instead she hugged him and started gushing about her baby boy finding such a cute little lover. Then her pushing him back up the stairs to comfort his distraught little mate. Who's reaction wasn't due to poisoning but a rush of endorphins and oxytocin making him hot and bothered.

Apparently, he'd bitten Jackson to mark him. He'd found someone who earnestly returned his affections and his instincts kicked in, deciding the dual natured boy was a sexually desirable mate he had to claim as well. It only confirmed what he and Cleo had wasn't real. Not once had the urge to ever do such a thing occurred with her.

And that's how he wound up cuddling his half naked classmate, now boyfriend, in his room with his mother downstairs and perfectly aware of what was happening. Not only aware but glad about it. To be fair, nothing naughty happened that time. Jackson had sweat through his clothes and while they washed, he donned one of Deuce's shirts allowing the gorgon to notice just how small he really was. A shirt the greek grew out of last year covered a fair bit of his body. Compared to every male monster he knew and most human teenaged boys, Jackson Jekyll was tiny**. The same way Draculaura was compared to all her ghoulfriends. Holt was the exact same size but his presence made him seem bigger or something somehow.

But looking at him now, he looked like so fragile and delicate. Perhaps it was due their new bond; the urge to protect painting the other as helpless and in need of his protection. Whatever this was, it made him cuter.

Jackson and Holt's normal attire kept the mark hidden. Neither version's collar being wide enough to expose it. The It-Couple had been split for only 2 days and news that either had already moved on would be hot gossip; despite it taking Cleo less time to recover from her breakup with Clawd. Even though the monster world was leaps and bounds ahead of human society on issues like homosexuality, polyamory (let's face it, there were three people in this relationship) and a laundry list of things that just came with being a certain type of creature, individuals reacted to situations individually. The Taur family was very old school on gender and gender roles; the reason Manny never mentions his other sister Maxine who used to be his big brother Max. Heath probably would accuse Deuce of having some unsavory agenda- the elemental had long suspected the gorgon's feelings for his cousin. It's just that having it come out in a sensational way would look really bad. Especially since Deuce had been vehemently denying he had an interest in the school 'normie' at all. Burns didn't give a wit about Cleo but would probably attempt to incinerate him for playing his cousin like that.

Those with strong enough noses didn't really need to be told. Howleen had innocently inquired as to why Deuce reeked so strongly of Jackson when she hopped in his car. Trying to be a good friend when Clawd got his driving privileges suspended lead to Clawdeen discreetly trying and failing to get her to drop it on the way to school. The younger wolf loudly reasoned the two would basically have to be rubbing up against each other a lot for a while for the scent to cling to him that way. Just as loudly she wondered how that could have happened. Failing to notice her big brother sticking his fingers in his ears, her sister covering her face or their chauffeur contemplating dumping her on the side of the road. She eventually stunned herself into a brief silence then apologized promising to keep it to herself.

Naturally Murphy's Law saw fit to split the difference for the couple.

A new family moved to the area. Monster High being a school of immense diversity, the parents hoped to raise their children in a strong monster community with others their age since before they had mostly kept to themselves due to their location. Business was good on the New Jersey Shore. Year round someone was bound to be working out in Dino's Gym, getting their clothes cleaned and pressed at D'Angelo's dry cleaning or getting their glam on at the tanning/beauty salon salon run by the eldest brother Damiano and his wife Daphne. But they longed to be able to be who they are without having every yahoo from some cryptozoology site in their face when they did.

Unfortunately they hadn't counted on New Salem's veil being so transparent that humans and monsters interacted with one another without the benefit of glamours. The patriarch even less keen on the idea of a human teen contaminating the air his boys breathed at school. Though he dealt with them on a regular basis, that was purely business. The whole point of moving had been to be with their own kind. Even more unfortunate, he encountered the boy on his way out of the building while classes were in session. Having just registered the twins Domenico ( who preferred his middle name Duke) and Demetrio (who preferred his, Devlin, as well; his wife and her letting them 'get with the times'...) Damiano Demone known to humans back East as the Jersey Devil- which was interesting seeing as they were an entire species not just one specimen- walked right into a distracted Jackson in the halls.

"Sorry sir I-"

"What's a human doin here?!" his devilish face twisting in disgust. Accent definitely from the south end of the Washington Bridge.

"Um, I'm a student sir. And not actually hu-"

"What kind of scam does Bloodgood think she's runnin with joint?! Lettin a human attend?!" A clawed hand roughly grabbed the boy's arm. "I moved here to get AWAY from your kind!"

"Ow! Let me go!" the teen tried to pull free, only causing those claws to dig deeper into his flesh.

"Oh no. I want answers. Yer commin' with me." The man turned to drag the boy towards the office.

"I said let go!"

The next thing the hybrid was aware of, the hallway was being filled with startled students. There was a gaping hole in one row of lockers from which a now red eyed Jersey Devil emerged intent on murdering him. Charging forward, Mr. Demone was upon him too quickly for the dazed boy to react. But not for a wall of red, black and green to deflect and render the angry man unconscious. No one saw Deuce move to shield him. Since when was he so fast? Or strong?

No suprise the reason for the commotion made it's rounds by the end of the day. It turns out Jackson wasn't as wimpy as everyone thought. When he was small, under duress he experienced bursts of superhuman strength. Something he consciously suppressed for fear of hurting someone (most of his life was spent in the human world; moving to this side of the veil for good was quite recent) but was documented in his school record at Monster High. Now as a teen, it was becoming more and more common without a stressor but having a hell beast scare him shitless gave it a boost. Even more shocking, if Mr. Demone hadn't been KOed by that one hit (technically second), Deuce probably would have killed the older monster and there wouldn't be any legal recourse for the Demone family. It all boiled down to that mark and what it represented. The very idea that someone of no relation had touched his mate and drawn blood no less essentially triggered a psycho reflex in him. This made things very awkward around their guy friends who were a little scared of a friendly, innocent gesture possibly resulting in loosing a limb. Now a foot wide buffer around him usually occured subconsciously.

Which also explained why right now he was like half a second off ripping the nearest guy apart. Seriously if Mr. Shaky made the wrong move, those talons were going to tear him to shreds.

All because Nefera de Nile saw her sister's break up as some personal affront. How dare he refuse a de Nile! Nevermind that both she and her father hadn't liked their relationship one bit. But unlike her father who saw Cleo's decision as a sign of maturity and developing qualities worthy of a great future ruler, Nefera interpreted the situation as him thinking he was too good for them. Especially after learning he played for the other team. And such a transgression could not go unpunished.

Of course she sucked at curses harder than Cleo despite having more practice. The nature of the internal clock he was designing for Robecca probably interfered with the her plan as well. So, whatever the intended result of the spell was, Jackson was fairly certain being dumped on a military base was not it.

It was probably supposed to kill them.

"How is this my life?" Jackson murmured. Clearing his throat, he spoke up over the noise. "Um, excuse me? I don't know the caliber of those weapons but I guarantee they'll only piss my boyfriend off. Even more so if you hit me. Is there somebody we could talk too? This has been a really bad day for us and this situation is just a huge misunderstanding."

"Then explain just what the hell you are doing on my helicarrier. I'm all ears young man." A stern, one eyed black man demanded.

*WTF*

"I'm sorry what?" Steve blinked at Maria Hill. There was no way he heard that right. Thor's blank expression was nothing to go by but Widow's raised brow and Bruce's utter befuddlement confirmed what she said was odd.

"I said Thor isn't the only living breathing myth around. Approximately 3 hours ago, SHIELD detected an energy flux or unknown origin within the helicarrier. Upon investigation, it was discovered that two intruders were aboard."

"Someone got on Fury's precious floating fortress." Tony laughed.

"Yes. A human teenaged boy, apparenly a science prodigy." She cleared her throat. "And his gorgon boyfriend."

That. That was the part confusing Steve. He wasn't a mythology buff but weren't gorgons hideous female creatures that turned people to stone with their gaze? Adjusting to the modern world had been a bit trying at times but he also struggled with his upbringing that had no accounting for same gender relationships either. On the face of it he understood love was love but the idea was still new to him.

"Oookay. Thoughts on how they got there?" Clint coughed.

"It appears the gorgon's former girlfriend has a sister with an axe to grind. Her attempt to punish him for leaving her sister resulted in a interdimensional jump. In their world, monsters as we know them live among humans but only recently have begun to do so openly without disguise."

"Oh! But you haven't heard the best part yet! The human kid ain't exactly human, he's just packaged that way like Point Break. Guess what his name is. Just guess." Tony beamed.

"Really Stark?" Hill rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on it's funny as shit!" When no one made an attempt he pouted. "Party poopers. Science boy's name...is Jackson Jekyll."

"Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?" Clint asked, frowning. Why does this shit have to happen to them? First Loki then a parade of sad wanna be villain-of-the-weeks. For a while it seemed like they were stuck in a real life version of Power Rangers without the benefit of owning fighting robots. That seriously would have come in handy against the Chitauri, that guy who somehow got a hold of a set of AI enabled military drones, the building that inexplicably came to life and stomped down Broadway... Now an adolescent schizophrenic psychopath and one of greek mythology's most fearsome (re:hard as fuck to kill) monsters to deal with.

Awesome.

"That's his great grandfather, on his mother's side, but his partner stopped him from talking about his father's family. Now you see the quandary. Though there is indeed a containment cell designed for a being of the Hulk's ability, we are unaware of how effective it maybe in holding him should he transform. The fact that the gorgon, whose name is Deuce won't let us anywhere near his smaller lover and snaps at anyone who tries to approach without permission makes securing them difficult. Anything we do risks agitating him or triggering the transformation in Jackson. So, Fury has decided they will stay with the Avengers Initiative until we are able to return them home since we don't know what we're dealing with.." Hill finished.

"What, I did not agree to that!" Tony yelped. "Where are they now?!"

"Your lab sir." JARVIS announced. "My apologies young Mr. Jekyll seems to be naturally gifted in hacking. As of right now, he has complete access to the system."

"WHAT?!"

"I sense the situation no longer amuses you friend Tony." Thor gave a smirk of his own.

"You think?! Jarvis, what is he doing now?"

The boardroom screen displayed their Tony's laboratory where Jackson was perusing some of Stark's notes on a computer and Deuce wandered around exploring. I kind of hit them that

"...gonna make sure she stays dead..." The human looking boy muttered.

"Jacks, calm down."

"Calm down?! We're stuck god knows where for god knows how long! I don't like how these people reacted to us and keep reacting to you either."

"Jacks, I'm something they thought only existed in myths, I'm used to it. Plus they know I'm venomous. Look, you're pretty frazzled, maybe you should take a rest, relax your mind."

"And let Holt out? Are you nuts? They'll definutely shoot us."

"Come on, he's gotten better with impulse control and hasn't burned anything down lately. Though he still says exactly what he's thinking..."

"Fine. But if gets a hold of alchol again, HE"S dealing with the hangover."

The team watched him dig a pair of red headphones out of his singed backpack and connect them to an oddly shaped device. Bracing to have his precious lab trashed, Stark's grip on Thor's arm was beginning to alarm the god. A flash of flame later, a blue skinned version of the teen with no glasses, flame themed clothes and literally flaming hair stood in his place blinking,

"Yo, D-baby? Where the fuck are we? This ain't Jackie-boy's nerd dungeon or the catacombs at school."

"I really don't know. I do know Nefera's the reason we're here. Jackson's too pissed off to think straight and we don't need him taking his anger out on the nice trigger happy people. You two are fireproof but not bulletproof."

"Huh. Looks like Fury was worried about the wrong side. Since both are apparently dangerous." Natasha quipped.

No one had anything to say to that.

*WTF*

I repeat I don't know why. It's just a plunnie that would not be tamed.

*In my headcannon, Deuce's father is actually Perseus. Which makes Zeus his grandfather. Pick up a REAL mythology book, not one sanitized or reimagined to make the hero easy to spot. Both are goddamned dicks, end of story.

**The dolls are all the same size but the animation has this fluctuate. The only thing they seem to keep constant is the swap doesn't make either taller or shorter. For the most part though, both Holt and Jackson are shorter and more lithe than all the guys. On occasion, they appear taller than or the same size as Heath but just as often not true. I also poke fun at the fact that though it's explicitly stated in the doll line, animation and books that Dracula's daughter is the smallest of the main cast she too experiences odd growth spurts and shrinking spells according to the whims of the animators.

***The Demone family is expanded, comprised of very insular, business savvy, monsters with Italian history who run a gym, a tanning/beauty salon and a dry cleaning businesses. The sons are more open to genuinely fitting in than their folks and uncles. The clan is also originally from New Jersey before moving to New Salem. The father happens to have anger issues and poor impulse control. If you don't get the joke(s)...I don't know what to tell you. If you do and happen to be offended, again, I don't know what to tell you. Then the entire Monster High franchise should piss you off for it's caricatures I suppose. Fun fact: St. Damian, the root of Damiano's name, is the patron saint of hairdressers.

Love it? Hate it? Wondering if I've lost my mind? Let me know, reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	2. Tony,just, why?

Idek...guys...idek...

*WTF*

The apearance of the blue skined version of the boy, now known as Holt Hyde, was..interesting. While Jackson was rather quite, reserved and at least gave the impression of being mannerable his alter ego was very vocal, lacking a brain-mouth filter and definitely had some mild form of ADHD. His trigger apparently wasn't anger but music. Which explained why he kept checking the power meter on his phone- once the music stopped they'd probably switch back.

"In the version we know of, Jekyll dies at the end. Obviously this is not the case in their world if he has direct descendants." Natasha frowned watching Holt. "The files do say Jackson mentioned his mother has an emotional trigger but he's different. How?"

"As the mutagen was passed down the line, it probaby began to affect the offspring differently." Bruce said.

"

"You wanna talk to him." It wasn't a question. She could understand why he would.

"We're a lot alike. And a lot different."

The two continued to watch the feed, pretty sure this was about to get interesting.

*WTF*

Not a soul moved.

The room now contained an agitated Jackson and nonchalant Deuce. The gorgon not even winded from sprinting so far so fast. The pair was flanked by Thor, hammer raised. Captain America with shield at the ready, Hawkeye with two arrows nocked, Black Widow's Bite aimed to kill and the Hulk showing amazing restraint in not immediately smashing up the place.

"Was that completely necessary?"

"Yes."

"I swear i can't tell who has worse impulse control, you or Holt."

"Considering he screwed with Holt's tunes, was seriously ticking you off AND he kept touching you? I'd say it's a tie." Deuce shrugged. "It could have been...messier."

"Just how could it have been messier? You killed him!" Steve yelled.

"No, I petrified him. You're super heros but he needs his suit so several alternatives would have been very painful, very bloody and probably fatal. This will wear off, eventually."

It began with Tony Stark being Tony Goddamned Stark. That alone could explain it all.

He started off interrogating the two with super personal questions like just how reptilian was Deuce's anatomy. From there commenting on how big a porn star he could be if he ever wanted. Being able to satisfy two partners at must be a handy trait, especially if they ever figured out how to separate his boyfriend(s).* Deuce blushed faintly at the blunt statements; more from his mind detouring to a really dirty mental image of Jackson and Holt kissing...while both rode him than anything. Holt didn't take it so mildly. His hair flared and Tony narrowly dodged a jet of fire aimed at his face.

"Fuck off old man. I can run my mouth all I want about OUR boy toy's disco sticks but you shut your face." Angrily he turned to Deuce, the other monster's left nostril bleeding slightly. "Are you actually perving on that?!"

"No!" Covering the evidence to the contrary by cupping his nose, he walked in the other direction.

"Touchy touchy! Just curious kid. Do you solve all your problems with arson?"

"Define solve." Red eyes narrowed. To really any other rational being, the implied threat could not have been clearer. Then again, it's Tony. Whether he got the message or simply chose to ignore it is debatable.

"Fine. What up with the fire? I don't remember that in the good doctor's story."

"I get that from my pops." he grumbled moving away and fiddling with his phone. Trying to find a beat that'd calm him down but not trigger the switch. Something he'd been working on to mellow out and not HAVE to solve all his problems with arson. Or have his brother wake up ready to punt whatever was pissing them off across the city.

"There you go being elusive again. What's the harm in giving me a straight answer?" Tony pouted. "Maybe your 'brother' might be easier to talk to." Without so much as a by your leave, he snatched the Beats-style headset off the grouchy teen.

In a flash he was looking at a pissed off Jackson. Who had been asleep and unaware of the conversation until Holt's agitation level rose, rousing his consciousness as well. Anytime they tried to explain the phenomena to anyone else, it only puzzled the other party. Holt had been in control while Jackson slept but it was possible for them to both be 'awake' at the same time. Their own mothers struggled to understand it- for every other Jekyll/Hyde whoever wasn't in control had no idea what was happening until they transformed again. Period.

"Why are you so intent on irritating a guy who could vaporize you?" The normal looking teen sighed, trying to stay calm.

"Talking to the man who actively tried to get Bruce to Hulk-out when I first met him. Come on! You guys live in a world where Frankenstein and Dracula are fuddy duddy parents. Hell I bet Medusa's a soccer mom with a minivan. You want our help. At least give us some details."

"Doc Stein is pretty cool and Mr. Dracul gives me the creeps. My mother however, is allergic to any car with more than 2 doors." Deuce called from across the room.

That got Tony's attention. He'd been joking about Frankenstein and Dracula, just plucking names out of his ass. Medusa was a joke too- she was just the only thing he knew of with snakes for hair. The inventor knew he was probably related to her distantly, but his MOM? Just how old was she? During their interrogation, Deuce had stated that he was only 16 and in high school. Had she waited thousands of years to have a kid? Or was he just he youngest? Then there were the others. How just how did their world work? How does a vampire or a hodgepodge of spare parts have a kid any way? With who?

"Whoa, so many more questions."

And from there, it only went downhill. Important things to note about the situation though.

The more Tony pestered him, the more upset Jackson became. He tried to ignore the man by working on his idea for getting them home but Tony kept poking him every five minutes. Or everytime he refused to answer. He'd also hidden Holt's headphones and refused to let JARVIS play any music. Not even smooth jazz.

Deuce was on the other side of the room for a reason. After about 10 minutes with the man, he'd mentally declared him harmless enough to be safe around his mate so long as he wasn't in his Ironman suit. This did not mean he thought the guy wasn't capable of something stupid. Like what he was doing now. His assessment classified Stark as harmless to his mate, not the other way around.

Hey, remember that second thing Holt was trying to avoid? It wasn't working out so well for Jackson. That was bad.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD! WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"

"I will if you-" And silence.

Standing in the middle of his own lab, Tony Stark was doing a bang up job impersonating a lawn ornament. Jackson blinked for a second before the rest of the Avengers came rushing in leading to the current standoff.

"If I hadn't shut him up, Jacks would have smashed that table over his head. The heavy, metal one he's already managed to crumple the edges of."

Looking down, he gasped. The works station he'd clutched once the irritation reached critical mass now bore deep hand prints in it from where's grabbed on. He let go as if burned.

"Oops." he nervously swept a blond highlight out of his face. "That would have made a mess..."

Once again, the Avengers could only stare.

*WTF*

Fury observed the incident from his office. He thought a situation like this would occur. And a tiny (not really) part of him enjoyed the show. Stark was great at getting information by being a damn troll but not so great at controlling himself.

"Sir, are you going to tell them?" Hill inquired gesturing to the report on his desk. It detailed strange occurrences detected by SHIELD and members of the NYC public alike. All originating around the time the duo appeared. The most notable being the one to get subway commuters in a tizzy about a new vigilante.

"Yes. One the situation diffuses. Until then, get a team on the trail of this Phantom Tagger."

*WTF*

*Snakes, like some other members of the animal kingdom, two penile organs. Some animals have more- nature is weird. Yes, Deuce's naughty fantasy could be possible if the boys had their own bodies.

So this is a thing. A thing I'll stick with for a while at least seeing as this plunnie has started to mutate into something with a plot...

Love it? Hate it? Still wondering if I've lost my mind? Let me know, reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	3. State the Obvious

..But Keep the Doozies to Yourself

So.

I know I've asked before...

Anyone know what to do about plot bunnies? Effectively? Seriously guys, my way of writing them down is not helping me, my readers or any facet of my non - fanfiction related life. What do I mean? Well right now there is a 4K+ word and going one shot crossover fic on my g drive that I have NO freaking idea where it came from. It's totally serious (*cough* as serious as my fics get *cough*) and features my personal fave OTP (whom Mattel would probably never attempt to market...to children...) and some friends causing chaos in another universe just being their freaky fabulous selves.

Yes I am aware I am NOT in the target audience of Monster High. As I am also aware Mattel is probably running their heads into a wall over the profit they could but couldn't make off of yaoi, yuri or just plain more mature, sexually or otherwise, fangirls and boys of this franchise.

Yeah.

Again I don't know where the idea came from. It started with "What if Jackson tried to fix Robecca Steam's internal clock for an Animation Day present?" And somehow segued into "Monsters in New York!" as a headline. Nefera's revenge plan goes awry-transporting several guys and ghouls who were in the catacombs at the time to another world.

*WTF*

"Suga; you gots somethin to say?" Operetta frowned at Hawkeye. "I get that Ima ravishin beauty an all but could ya do somethin less creepy than jus gawk at me?"

"You're purple."

"And yer pasty but I wasn't gonna be rude and point it out. I only came in here on account of I heard on the news ya'll was lookin fer us." She said. "I'm Operetta Leroux."

Clint had eventually been sent out to do some investigation. Thor had left to ask his father something. That left Natasha, Tony, Bruce and Steve to puzzle over their current situation after the debacle in the metro station.

"So, we have the son of Medusa, the whatever-great grandson of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the son of the Invisible Man, a poltergeist with an art fetish, and the Phantom of the Opera's daughter." Tony looked over the five 'teens' lounging about the room on screen. Well Jackson was glancing at a laptop screen and doing calculation that to the casual observer looked like gibberish but Tony (and the R&amp;D team of SHIELD) readily identified as quantum physics. Shit he'd never even seen before right there in proven, balanced equations. A while sitting on Deuce's lap as the gorgon messed with a Starkpad.

Operetta plucked out some chords on her guitar, mouthing the words to a song without actually singing. Occasionally frowning and crossing out something in her song book. She'd explained in no uncertain terms that she didn't do live performances when asked about herself. "My voice...uh sorta DOES stuff to people. It's really only safe to listen to on a recording."

The thing that really drove Tony nuts was Porter spray painting everything he saw. Realizing why the undead teen's nickname was 'Paintergiest' pissed him off. He ranted about the no good vandal he couldn't even strangle until he watched the mural that appeared in his lobby vanish after an hour. The glowing green spectre laughed and explained if he didn't own it, he would only use ghost paint which evaporates.

Invisibilly was the only one to do much lounging. He found something funny on tv and pretty much tuned everything else out. Relaxing enough to periodically vanish limbs or his body completely from view. Reappearing when he laughed.

"And that's just so far. The poltergeist- Porter- told Jackson he was setting up for a party with the invisible kid- Invisibilly- helping him in the catacombs under their school." Bruce added.

"Why in the world would anyone want to be in the catacombs under anything?" Steve shivered. "Who builds a school on top of them?"

"These Addams Family relatives. They're large and sprawling enough to accommodate several workspaces without anyone in any of them ever running into each other. Jackson shares a science lab with a zombie girl in it. Operetta has her own music studio down there. The professor who built the robot girl Jackson was trying to help has a workshop there. Parts of it are also hangouts for school delinquents." Natasha sighed. "There's no telling how many of these kids got dumped here."

"Wait, the ghost attends another school? " Steve questioned.

"Apparently Monster High is one of a very few intergration attempts unique in their world. Monster kind is rather segregated when it comes to educating their children and relations between certain species despite the society as a whole having little trouble co-habitating. Many students are transfers from facilities that catered to only one or two species. Porter is a student at Haunted High, a ghost school. There is also the local human school which has recently begun efforts to make Monster High and Haunted High sister schools. According to him, there was a human girl by the name of Lilith helping him and Invisibilly when the incident started." Clint replied. "And Operetta is also a type of ghost. A phantom but for whatever reason she doesn't go there."

"There's also the very real issue that these 'children' are all dangerous." Tony frowned. "The gorgon's gaze might be temporary but there's potent enough toxin in his fangs and nails to kill a man just by pricking them. Both Jackson and his alter are mentally unstable possessing super strength and pyronic powers- mad scientist fits em to a tee too. The phantom of the opera's daughter had a deadly voice. Both the poltergeist and the invisible kid can't be picked up by any instrument we have when they vanish and Porter at least has a mild form of telekinesis. Nor can he actually be contained as far as we know. Face it, they're a zoo of powers SHIELD can't really control. What are they going to do if Fury or his evil overlords on high attempt to control them? These are the same twats who opted to nuke Manhattan instead of give us like 5 more minutes a year ago."

*WTF*

School had ended 50 minutes ago but Mr. Where could not find his son. He'd been all over the campus looking. Billy usually met him in the drama classroom either to go home or tell him of his afterschool plans. Though not the most reliable of students, the boy knew how his father worried. Ever since his mother's murder...

"Sorry I missed ya. Leave me a message and I'll catch up with you later."

(BEEP!)

"Billy, where are you?" the teacher sighed.

At the same time, Heath wandered around the catacombs. He didn't think, he knew something was wrong. Uncle Crispen had flown in to surprise his wife and son- the band was taking some personal time off and he'd be home all summer. Helping out a friend or not, neither of his cousins would be caught undead or alive skulking around at school when their pops was waiting for them. But the family calling their phone goes right to voicemail. Heath couldn't reach Deuce either. The three of them had been (ugh) mates for about a month now but the cold blooded bastard was always around them like a fucking satellite.

Heath at least tried to remain the Greek monster's friend, really he did. And if he were as dumb as everyone thought, there'd be no issue. But because he happened to be a major history geek and hoping to be a historian after college, he just couldn't help but feel disgusted at their relationship. No matter how Jackson and later Holt tried to convince him it was mutual, Health felt Deuce had forced this on them. It goes back to the days before the Great Divide, before the human and monster worlds disconnected from each other out of fear and hatred.

When Heath learned what Deuce did, horrified didn't remotely come close to describing his reaction but he hid it well. Part of many creature mating rituals, claim marks were notorious for sometimes altering the mind of the claimed party; making them lust insatiably after the one who marked them-the reason they were now rather taboo except certain circumstances. Humans are especially susceptible. As much as some liked to tout purity, that was only a thing because their species didn't actually hybridize when pairing with a human mate, simply dominated their DNA. All the non creature parent's genes did was help determine gender in those who reproduce sexually. This isn't even taking vampires and alike into account who could turn humans. The fact that for the last few centuries such issues were rarer (mostly due to it being illegal for a monster to claim a human unless they were already married for a year) did not take away from the fact that some old families still used them to ensnare unwilling lovers and avoid suspicion.

He denies any interest in his cousins and as soon as Cleo cut him loose, the first thing he does is sink his fangs in them? It was just too quick, too convenient. Deuce had been planning a way to get in Jackson and Holt's pants since he met them. It wouldn't be a surprise if he dumped her so he could go after them. And his cousins had lived on the human side of the veil so long, they didn't even realize that asshole had taken advantage of them. Was still doing it!

"Hello?" The lower level of the school was eerily quiet. Usually something made noise down here but now, complete silence. As he approached Ghoulia and Jackson's lab, he heard moaning. For gods' sake they better not be fucking in there, it's not a private place!

Rounding the corner his relief at that not being the case was overshadowed with horror. Lying in the middle of floor were Toralei, Cleo, Lilith and Nefera. Cut up, bloody, barely conscious and all reaching out for a strange Egyptian artifact that lie shattered between them. Toralei and Nefera were closest to it, both of their hands looking like they'd been electrocuted. The very air around the lab charged with power.

"Ohhh man!"

He ran over to them. Nefera and Cleo had no pulse by definition but the noises they were making told him the princesses were still undead. Toralei he worried for. The werecat too still and quiet crumpled on top of Lilith, who had attempted to open her eyes at his exclamation.

Thank the gods Ghoulia and Jackson had installed cell signal boosters down here.

*WTF*

I will explain how the others got there in a few chapters. Trying to show what's happening in MH world too. Plus I sort of write this way...

Okay, more head cannon notes:

It's a popular fan theory that Mr. Where is Invisibilly's dad. I think it has to more to do with them randomly plucking monsters from movies and books to staff the school before they knew how popular this would actually get with a need for an expanded student body. Still the theory works for me. His wife dying will be revisited.

My version of Jackson/Holt's father is still alive- he's not around much because he's a musician. Something that's a source of contention with his wife's family (there's a reason his wife and son don't have the Burns name) despite the fact that he supports his family quite well this way.

Operetta was confirmed in the recent movie to be a type of ghost. In my head cannon, her mother Christine, not her father died. But was resurrected by the ring Erik gave her as a phantom as well. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry the exact story isn't really relevant and will just be glossed over later.

Turns out Deuce had a legit reason to worry about people seeing the mark on his mate(s). The issue Heath has with him has been revealed. As well as his own hidden passion for historical research. The Great Divide referenced in the explanation will be touched on later too.

Love it? Hate it? Still wondering if I've lost my mind? Let me know. Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	4. Getting to Know You Part I

Sup.

This chapter gives us some background on both the happenings in the MH verse and what lead to parts of the previous chapters. Also, fleshing out my headcannon for this too. A little short but here we go!

*WTF*

The school was swarming with EMT, human and monster alike. Toralei being airlifted to ASAP; the werecat having no pulse when first responders found Heath giving her CPR. Spell casters on site working their magic to prevent the de Nile sisters from slipping into the final darkness before they could even be moved. The only one who seemed to have much of a shot at surviving at first glance? The frailest of the four, Lilith VanHellscream. Who was immediately airlifted as well.

And no one had any idea what had occurred. Or what was about to.

"There must be a way!" A broken man demanded.

"I'm sorry my old friend." The word friend dripping with sarcasm.

"Surely there is something you can do...this incident will surely weaken the effects!"

"IF you actually care for her, you will let this go. I helped you once out of concern for her life. And I refuse you now out of that same concern. You know as well as I that the spell was never meant to last this long to begin with!" A shadowed hand struck the black lacquer desk between two figures, one seated, one standing. One shrouded in darkness, the other shrouded in grief.

"I should have know not to trust the Nightmare King." Green eyes narrowed in disgust. "To trust ANY of your kind."

"No, you should have known the past will always come back to haunt us Abraham." Gold ones matched the hateful stare with a dismissive one. "How long did you think this charade could continue? I gave you that sand because of the danger she was in. Her people were being hunted thanks to your lies! I saw remorse in your eyes as you came upon her wailing in her dead mother's arms. For your penance, I trusted you to keep her safe long enough for that danger to pass. Instead you spirited her away to live as a human indefinitely! Redouble your efforts to wage war against our kind, HER kind, under the guise of a hero to all. Be grateful I do not skin you alive for your treachery VanHellscream!"

"I threw away the other vial because I thought if she were to remain human...I do love her...I...I just wanted to protect her."

"From what? Herself?" the Boogeyman gave a hollow bark of laughter. "And how do you think Lilith will take the news that she is what she was raised to despise? That her name is ever so appropriate? You fear that she will hate you for what you've done to her."

"No. That I could live with." The researcher collapsed in the chair behind him like a sack of bricks. "You know what I truly fear Pitch."

"That she will hate herself? Luckily for you, that is not likely to be as big an issue as you may think. It's a new era my boy. You must learn to live in it, as must we all."

Across town, across the veil, mortal doctors and nurses scrambled to make sense of what was happening. Monitors exploded around them as their previously unresponsive patient let out an ear splitting shriek, arching off the bed. Then as abruptly as it began, it stopped and her visage seemed to ripple. The color in golden blonde locks bled away at the roots, replaced by tar black strands with two stripes of red framing a now snow white face. Small white horns elegantly curved out from the sides of a feminine skull.

"Mmm?" Eyes slowly opened and a resident yelped before passing out. Unable to handle seeing sanguine irises set in ebony sclera.

*WTF*

Nick Fury, contrary to popular belief, was not all about being a hard ass. Of course he was deeply invested in the safety of the Earth, just not the same way people perceived. Though if it got the result necessary, he'd play the devil's advocate any day of the week. He knew the risks of their visitors going postal on Stark were astronomical, but he also knew they'd never trust the Avengers or SHIELD if treated like prisoners. The cage designed for Banner's 'other guy' would definitely hold the pair, at least long enough to figure out a more permanent solution.

What swayed him to act a he did came from what they managed to recover from the pretty much nuked laptop that came with them from wherever. Footage of that world he reviewed with his most trusted agents.

-Hi. Um...okay...so this is supposed to be viewed by others classes so here goes. I'm Jackson Jekyll, the great grandson of the more famous Dr. Jekyll. I'm 16 and also known as Monster High's resident 'normie'.-

"Huh?" Hill blinked.

-But I'm not. Technically I'm not human at all. No one born into my family has been for generations. I'm a hybrid like Neighthan, Bonita and the others. This video is supposed to help you guys understand our school isn't much different than yours and there's no reason to be afraid of us See my mom is a Jekyll which is weird on it's own cuz she's the only female born into the family since the...um...experiment. But she does have an alter so I did grow up with two moms.-

The screen showed a picture of a brunette woman with round glasses and an over all harmless look dressed in a labcoat.

-This is Dr. Janice Jekyll, my mom. She's a lead chemist in the research department at Stevenson Pharmaceuticals.- The boy said though not on screen. The picture changed to a blue, slimmed down and curvier version of the freaking hulk with long blonde hair dressed in a black bikini flexing her muscles. -This is also my mom Hestia Hyde, champion weightlifter and 5 time Ms. Atlas,.-

About then Fury's eyebrow, both of them, went up.

-Mama Hyde looks scary cuz she is but she's cool if she's not angry. Mom's trigger is emotional but she doesn't instantly switch back when she calms down. She's been practicing to be able to switch at will but it doesn't always work. This is my dad Crispen Burns.- The next picture was of a man with spiked orange hair and yellow skin. Dressed in torn jeans, a black shirt and shades.

"That is the worst case of jaundice I have ever seen." Coulson quipped.

-He's a fire elemental. They're married but one of the conditions of mom's family letting her marry him is she couldn't take his name. No one will tell me why but I guess it's cuz our name is a red flag not to piss us off. I really miss him- he's not dead just travels a lot. He's a musician. Mom and I used to travel all over the world with him but then they decided it might be best for me to start staying in one place. Part of it I think is mom's folks kinda think my dad is a bum. They made him sign a prenup and tell everyone how bad they feel for her falling for 'that sort'. Grams and Gramps don't even acknowledge that Dad makes more on the road as a drummer in a band than mom does at the lab. It sucks. Alot.- Jackson appeared on screen again. -Anyway then there's me. My alter's name is Holt Hyde. He's loud, obnoxious...ugh. Basically we're polar opposites. I study, he parties. I like mellow music. He likes it loud and fast. We're weird because unlike mom and the rest, we can actually communicate without leaving notes or recordings. For the most part we're aware of what the other is doing. It helps cut down on confusion at least when we switch out of the blue.-

With that he turned on the radio and to the shock of the agents watching, he was engulfed in flames.

-So, now that the square's takin a back seat let's talk about me. I like to groove. Dad taught me the drums but my real callin is the turntable, dig? Guessin what makes us so weird is what we inherited from our folks. I gots dad's fire powers and love of music. Jackie's the nerd but he's got Mama Hyde's strength too. If he freaks out, he can kick a hole is solid steel.- The blue teen laughed, disconcerting the small audience some. -That means you assholes who keep stuffin him into lockers might wanna cool it. Jackie's got wonderful self control given our family background but if he snaps Headmistress Bloodgood totally has a piece of paper in her office stating neither one of us is responsible for going off the deep end if provoked. There's a reason we're not at our old school and it involves the demolition of the east wing. So...bully at your own risk dudes.-

"Unbelievable." Hill sighed.

"No, unbelieveable was finding out Asgard was a real place. This is just another day in the world we live in." Fury responded. "Thoughts Coulson?"

"Well, it's reasonable to assume that no matter how they got here, SOMEONE is going to notice they're , I hope the rescue party doesn't include Jekyll's mother or mothers. I get the feeling 'Mama Hyde'd enjoy scraping the Hulk off the soles of her stiletto boots. I don't doubt for a second she could run and kick ass in those five inch heels." Phil snorted. "I don't even want to think of Deuce's family leading the charge. A spooked grunt already proved his skin is like adamantium when he fired at point blank and we still haven't found that ricochet."

"And those two are just children. Only juvenile examples of two of what could be an endless number species. Some probably the stuff of nightmares." The director rubbed his temples. "Tell Stark he's gonna have company."

*WTF*

Okay, more head cannon notes and references:

My inspiration for the twist with Lilith comes from various aspects concerning the origin of her name. Monotheistic and pagan influences alike. Those who've seen my fics before also understand I don't like the simple 'villain as plot device' trope and give reasons for people to be the way they are. I also love the version of the Boogeyman voiced by Jude Law in Rise of the Guardians and therefore have cast him as Twyla's father. No, ROTG has nothing to do with this fic, I simply abducted a character I like.

Abraham is the first name of Dr. Van Helsing whom Van Hellscream is based.

Stevenson is the last name of the author of "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Just like Leroux is the author of the "Phantom of the Opera" and the last name I gave to Operetta in the previous chapter.

The heels thing is a jab at the totally awesome but completely impractical footwear that makes up 80% of the doll line fashion accessories.

Gorgon skin is famous for being tough as shit. Technically it's the scales but...artistic license and all that jazz.

Yes, how Invisibilly, Porter and Operetta ended up in Avengers Tower is next chapter.

Love it? Hate it? Still wondering if I've lost my mind? Let me know. Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	5. Boo York or New York?

Hi again. Here be another chapter. Beware shifting tenses, POVs and hopscotching through time. Nothing you should be already used to.

Let's go!

*WTF*

There were many things not widely known about one Dr. Bruce Banner. He had early onset acne as an eight year old. His father was a complete tool. He preferred fish to other pets. And, at one point during his isolation, he had closely followed the work of Dr. Curtis Connors in hopes it might lead to a breakthrough with his own 'situation'...

Until the whole underfunded, in need of results desperate as all fuck theme struck again transforming him into one of Spiderman's enemies, The Lizard. Who also happened to be a bigger, stronger, dimmer, greener and more rage filled version of his normal self scientific self. Swear to god there has to be a some sort of club for guys like them. But why is this relevant?

Seeing as it required a good understand if herpetology, he knew a thing or two about lizards and snakes. While remarkably hearty animals, much of their stamina was expended in short pursuits or lunges. 95% of the time, most were slow going. This becomes more apparent as you go up in size- you don't see gators hustle without good reason but geckos seem to be on goddamn crank. That being said, the scene he observed at the moment shouldn't be possible.

Deuce chasing Tony around an entire floor of the tower and almost catching him. While the latter is in his freaking suit.

See, with Tony 'learned my lesson' are words that do not belong anywhere near each other. In the three days since the stoning, he became rather obsessed with Jackson/Holt and his theory that the two were just two halves of a broken psyche. Despite having hacked into SHIELD and seeing part of the notes on Jackson's laptop where clearly showed the findings the Hyde side in his family had over time become less of a splinter persona and evolved into a COMPLETELY SEPARATE person that shares the same DNA. Like a bizarre version of twins; that failed to physically separate and timeshared a body. As shown that their mother Janice was very shy , 'lucky to be able to pull her rollaway briefcase much less lift it.', 'has zero coordination in shoes that aren't flat' and can't even handle frou frou/ sugary alcoholic drinks. But their mother Hestia LOVED high heels (could run and workout/deadlift in them), loved to party and could drink men (human and monster) her size under the table.

Then their was that joke about Duece's...endowments he had seriously considered might be true. That part led to the current insanity. Tony wanted to do a scan of the teens up close. JARVIS couldn't get a clear reading with his remote sensors so in true if you want something done right fashion he set about getting the needed data. Knowing he was among the more easily squished Avengers, he decided to wear the Ironman suit and sneak into their guests' room while the pair slept to get his precious readings. That in and of itself should require no further explanation.

But what fun would that be?

See Stark was just a bit too smart for his own good. Yes the suit would protect him. But it wasn't nearly as quiet as he necessary to do the job. There was also the issue that like a large portion of the reptile population, the serpents on the gorgon's head had no eyelids aside from a transparent membrane more suited to protection than blocking light. Most species also didn't sleep very deeply and their still open eyes were motion sensitive. And being on his head they were synced up with his brain meaning despite being dead to the world himself, his hair could alert him to a perceived threat. And guess what 6 feet of red and gold metal illuminated by the arc reactor and two blazing eye slots would register as looming over him and his sleeping mate?

See the problem? Too bad Tony didn't. Even geniuses could be dumbasses apparently.

Bruce became aware of the situation when a shiny streak nearly mowed him down on the hallway. Immediately afterwards came a stream of angry greek flowing from a nearly naked male gorgon clad only in a pair of red boxers and the tinted, red framed goggles SHIELD 'insisted' he wear to reduce the likelihood of stoning some poor bastard. From simple context, he knew what the boy was screaming loosely translated into 'I'm going to fuck your shit up!' as he ran after Ironman.

Shambling after the attempted murder in progress was Jackson. Bleary eyed and yawning, but at least wearing a shirt in addition to boxers. The doctor noticed the human looking monster didn't seem that concerned about the situation as he made no effort to catch up nor looked particularly upset.

"Um...Jackson is he going to hurt Tony?"

"Mxplgrsx..."

"I'm sorry, what?!"

"Coffee..." he moaned shuffling past him towards the kitchen. So caffeine addict.

Jackson glared at the coffee maker, it had flat out refused to work. Bruce could sympathize, pretty much everything in the tower had some degree of AI and thus pissed off somebody at some point. For Jackson, the reason seemed to be the selection he typed in was unhealthy for his age and chemically volatile. So it came as no suprise that the young mad scientist simply reprogramed it using a god damned fork.

Now an obedient mindless drone (as appliances should be), it dutifully belched out this unholy opaque black sludge with the viscosity of maple syrup. While it strained to do so, Jekyll rummaged around the cabinets until he came upon a red and green bottle. Staring at it blankly, he shrugged and proceeded to pour it into the mug of what could be debatable called coffee.

"Wait! That's Tabasco sauce!"

"I know. You don't have anything higher on the Scoville scale. What I usually use is illegal to sell to anyone but fire elementals and assorted monsters with high heat tolerance." he mumbled stirring the goo in the cup. Then downed the 180 degree mixture in about 3 gulps. His belch came complete with smoke pouring from his mouth but he only looked more awake, not in absolute agony from third degree burns to his digestive tract or a wicked case of heartburn. If Dr. Banner had not been present with them for the last 3 days, he would swear that alone pushed Jackson Jekyll firmly into the 'human shaped monster' category.

"Alright then. Going to see about saving Tony-"

"Deuce won't kill him. Though he probably will destroy his suit with him in it. The schematics are quite interesting. Watching him reconstruct it may inspire more ideas for my own projects than just observing the blueprints already has. I'm sure Robecca might appreciate some of what I have so far."

"How did- Tony let you into his files? He won't let SHIELD into them!"

"That's nice. If I want into his mainframe, there isn't anything he can do to stop me." The look the teen gave him alone was pretty clear on that. "Isn't that right JARVIS?"

"As much as I would like to disagree, Mr. Jekyll is very advanced for his age Dr. Banner. He has overridden every firewall Mr. Stark has put in place." The AI butler replied. If Bruce didn't know better, JARVIS sounded kinda irritated to have to admit that.

"That reminds me, could you please tell Mr. Fury that when he is done violating my privacy, I want what's left of my laptop and USB sticks back. Unless he's keen on having the entire SHIELD computer network crash when he tries to break the encryptions on some of my files."

Having washed out his mug, the teen left the older scientist standing there blinking like an owl.

Just what were they playing host to?

*WTF*

*The evening this all began*

"Where the fuck are we?!"

"Uh...dude, we're in NYC. That ad for a Broadway show pretty much clinches it."

"..."

"That's right you've lived pretty deep in the veil full time. Uh...the normie flipside of Boo York."

"Wait, weren't we on the West Coast?!"

First that old lady screamed her head off calling them abominations and demanding someone save her, they had to vanish in a flash and hide out in a freaking alleyway now they realized they were in another world? Seriously?!

Porter could not believe this. He he and Invisibilly were setting up for a party. Then all of a sudden they were on the opposite end of the country. How had that happened? He remembered a weird sound, like a bunch of bugs buzzing then. He and his new best friend were suddenly in some knockoff city- well, that's not really fair to say. And if Kiyomi heard him, she'd lecture his ear off. Again.

Her obsession with barriers and such had lead her to some pretty interesting discoveries in the Haunted High Library after their little adventure. Turns out, a reeeeally long time ago way before even Principal Revenant's heyday, there had been just one world. Period. Humans and monsters of all kinds lived side by side. Then there was some kinda issue and monsters left what would be later called the Normie world and created their own, with The Veil separating the two. Very few monsters actually stayed on the Normie side but there were some. Monsters then further separated into other groups like ghosts and solids with a need for another barrier. Time lead to misinformation and all sorts of horror stories about their kind (that were only vaguely true) became all humans really knew of them and sometimes they of each other. It's why even though the Veil was pretty much a revolving door now, there was still a lot of fear and ,mistrust on all sides. That's what the schools uniting was supposed to help with.

Despite this, the worlds evolved pretty much along the same lines as far as technology and similar names for things and places despite the relatively sparse contact. For the most part all sides knew of each other not just about each other. He sorta got confused...and bored when Haunterly was explaining so he was still sketchy on the details. But now he and Invisabilly were somewhere he had no clue about. At least Where knew something...

Invisabilly on the other hand was trying to figure out just how they ended up 3000 miles from home. Yeah he had an idea of what was going on given his love of theatre of all types still left him with no idea what the musical "The Fun Home" could be about. Either they were in another time or another world. The pair had been wandering around unseen for a while, and the things they saw suggested the time travel theory was out. The fact that anytime the two of them became visible it scared the shit out of the locals, screaming about monsters being really real, pointed at world hopping. To them being thrown into a whole other reality. One where monsters weren't common. Or at least not the same as back home.

Well.

Shit.

"Somebody help!" a frantic call came from a woman nearby. She was struggling with a guy twice her side at a subway entrance, no one else around at the time and night had fallen about an hour ago. Pretty easy to get away with a criminal activity like this in such an area right? With a violent kick he sent her sprawling to the concrete. He purse strap snapped from the force and the impact caused her nose to smash into the pavement and a bloody mess resulted. He would have taken it and run if a quick buck was his goal.

"Hey buddy that's not how you treat a lady."

So imagine the crook's suprise when he turned deal with the punk horning in on his fun. And saw no one there. But he certainly felt the punishing blow to his face and a second to his stomach.

*WTF*

Oh Porter. Curse you and your short attention span! Your internal exposition wasn't that helpful to the readers! But kudos to the guys unlocking their inner vigilante though.

Yeah, Tony, no one wants to wake up staring at you in your suit. Period. That was at best an 'it seemed like a good idea at the time' type of plan. Those never work out well bro. And yes I realize Jackson seems a little OOC but there's a reason for it I swear. Simply put, people change...

No seriously I'm gonna explain that I promise but I'm pretty sure you smart cookies have some good ideas about why.

Notes:

The reference to the Lizard is part of the fact that scientists in comics only fall into 3 categories hero, villain and disposable/grunt. Any classification could be the result of poor life choices, happenstance (good or bad, mostly bad) or just stupidity (random or intentional...that one's a toss up). In any case it either makes you the good guy, the bad guy or a plot device.

The coffee thing was inspired by chapters 4 and 5 of "You Don't Know Jack" by ffnet's La spina fra i lilla. Check it out for a pretty interesting take on everybody's favorite monster high normie.

Yes making him the drama teacher's son make his name even more of a pun, Invisabilly Where.

Love it? Hate it? Still wondering if I've lost my mind? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	6. Bonds of Blood

I have long been a fan of supernatural elements in entertainment media. That's part of why I like MH. But for a series made for preteens, it's chock full of fridge horror and WTF instances that adults (and some kids) find...interesting. For example:

The canon materials (doll diaries, movies, web series) don't explain how Frankie came to be other than her folks made her. Um...if they did it the way they were created, the star of a children's doll line is a reanimated corpse cobbled together from dead teenaged girls. The book series tries to make this less horrifying by clearly stating they grew her parts in their lab. But many fans disregard the books so... Oh and let's not forget a girl who looks exactly like her (down to mismatched eyes) once made friends with Andy at Skull Shores. Given the clothes she's shown in and the images from that time in Andy's life, that had to occur at least a hundred years before the movie events. Not even Andy knows what happened to her. And it's never fucking mentioned again.

Clawdeen shaves at least twice a day. Okay, but what? It's partially due to the animation style but we have no frame of reference for how much of her body she has to shave, or how low she has to cut it. Or how freaking long it takes. That might seem trivial but in the movies and episodes, it's hard to tell if whatever isn't on top of their head is low cut fur or skin. Toralei and the werecat twins' designs makes this even more questionable. An animal's basic fur patterns can be visible on their actual skin but rarely in the exact same color as the hairs themselves.

It's pretty clear from one of Cleo's own diaries that she was MUMMIFIED ALIVE and put in a deep sleep to escape something. Sure there's magic involved but it gets worse when you realize her uncle staged the coup in Ancient Egypt (the reason for the family fleeing), her mother is no where to be found before the process starts or when she wakes and the very last thing she remembers before la-la land is someone laughing. Like the family had been tricked. Almanita eventually tells them that's exactly what happened; mummification was supposed to be an eternal sleep.

Draculaura has been a teenager for almost 1600 goddamn years. This is very clear in her flashback to her old school in Why do Ghouls Fall in Love. And she wasn't always a vegan either though when and why she swore off blood isn't explained. Also (unless we're dealing with Underworlds-style creatures of the night), citing the same TV movie, her romance with Clawd while progressive is doomed. She will outlive him and/or reach a point where he has matured beyond her mental level. This is true of pretty much every non vamp or long lived monster she encounters. So in about five years all her ghoulfriends will have moved on while she's perpetually stuck as a high schooler. This is based on what the animation itself has shown us.

Ghoulia and the other zombies are weird in terms of the genre: Neighthan and Bonita are straight up nightmare fuel. Was Ghoulia a human girl who died or was she always a zombie? If it's the later, biology would beg to differ dead things can't give birth. But then there's a zombie/unicorn hybrid and a mothman/skeleton hybrid. Though there is the whole 'dead dude boning a magic horse' thing that's...unsettling (whether it's the traditional depiction or an anthropomorphized version is NEVER addressed), Neighthan's mom is a unicorn and therefore magic so that could explain him. But how the heck did Bonita happen?! Her mother is the skeleton by the way. Think about that for a minute. Let me know when you're done screaming.

The ghosts are just as bad. Sirena's existence makes it clear ghosts can reproduce but Spectra raises the same questions as Ghoulia. Then there's also the fact that Operetta and Scarah are types of ghosts. Even though banshee are simply 'ghostly fae'. Phantoms aren't actually explained either...but in literature there were no actual supernatural elements to Eric's story so fuck it. But the creepiest is actually Porter. Poltergeists are supposedly the cause of the most terrifying types of hauntings because they can actually interact with the physical plane and move shit. Disregard that Spectra and other ghosts in the MH world can do this when they choose. Porter doesn't have to touch things to affect them. It's mostly demonstrated with his art supplies but it's heavily implied the Paintergeist telekinetic. Add in that they can be created by intense feelings (usually negative by the way) and his happy go lucky demeanor seems kinda ominous. Though sometimes poltergeist are depicted as mischievous rather than murderous.

Jackson/Holt is/are a hybrid (set) too but aren't half normie. The two are 100% not human. Their mom is definitely a monster (her transformation makes that quite clear) and their father is a fire elemental (also how he and Heath are cousins). Even if Ms Jekyll was human he still wouldn't be. Like all Jekylls, he just happens to be human shaped. Surprised this didn't factor into Freaky Fusion. Then again the creators prolly wanted to focus on a new love interest and things would have gotten super awkward super fast splitting the focus.

.

Deuce shouldn't be allowed to play contact sports of any kind. Least of all SCRM. Never mind the stone gaze and the snake hair. According to myth Gorgons are super tough skinned but with the right circumstances you can hurt them. Blood from the right side of his body could heal just as well as Neighthan's horn and possibly undo the stone curse, which is cool. But any from his left is instant death to whatever it touches. There's also the thing about D-baby being pretty rare to his race. Gorgons are generally female. Nanas the Guard of Zeus, was the only guy mentioned. Unfortunately I have heard everything from him being Medusa's brother to her lover (in those days the two weren't mutually exclusive) to having been born one (unlike her) to being some schmuck that pissed off the wrong god/goddess. And as of writing this Google isn't being that helpful. But I do have an explanation of him that fits this story. Particularly why Deuce isn't too fond of his father or that side of his family.

Are there more things? Hells yes. Am I over thinking some of these? Probably. Are some of these answered already somewhere? Possibly. Was Mattel even remotely concerned with logic when they conceived MH? Definitely not.

I fully blame my scatter brain having to write down ideas as they happen and my obsession with the storytelling style used in the show Once Upon a Time. On the plus side, the success of Winter's Dark Angel (written in the same hopscotching through time fashion) shows I can do it and still keep the story together n_n

I will be posting a relative timeline like I did for that fic soon too. As for this, it happens about a week after incident.

*WTF *

"So, we have more than Asgard to be concerned with." Grumbled the shadow on monitor 2.

"This world of monsters...what have you learned of it?" The lone feminine shadow asked from the 4th screen.

"That it is full of every nightmarish thing humans have ever feared." Fury responded. "And they have jobs, families, lives just like any person on the street. Before this, the Gorgon's biggest concern was telling his mother about a bad grade and losing his driver's license for a week. His mate remained remarkably cool and collected for someone learning they had been dumped in another world but was actually internalizing his stress. In more ways than I am comfortable with he reminds me of both Stark and his father. "

"Mate? As in lover?" The 3rd sounded intrigued. "Ah, the human boy as an avenue of leverage."

"Ill advised. Gentlemen and Lady, these two are just as dangerous on their own as any single Avenger. And for the record Jackson Jekyll is no more human than you are Cro Magnons. His appearance is only due to half his line originating as human generations ago."

"So you are suggesting what Fury? Make nice with the monsters? I seem to recall your initial brief outlining how one is practically indestructible and the other is pyrokinetic with 'the world's worst case of dissociative identity disorder.' These juveniles are dangerous and need to be contained. " Screen 1 furthest to the director's left said firmly.

"The keyword Council is juveniles. They are only children- children with families no doubt older and more powerful than they are. Just what do you think the response from the other side will be when they discover their offspring have been caged like animals for simply existing?" Fury looked nonplussed on the outside. In his head, he was silently cursing his employers. If they had their way, the pair would have been locked up the instant they arrived. "Jekyll at 16 years old could probably beat the holy hell out of Rogers given sufficient motivation. His mother could theoretically take on the Hulk if our calculations are even half right. Deuce, his boyfriend also 16, likey could withstand Thor's hammer. His mother is actually Medusa; how powerful do you think the Queen of his kind thousands of years older might be? We got lucky with Thor being sent to learn humility and Loki losing his god damned marbles that we are not at war with Asgard."

"So make nice it is." Screen five assented before shutting off. His colleagues following suit. Honestly! These five individuals pretty much ran the western hemisphere...and acted like toddlers when they didn't get their way. That alone should make one worry for the fate of the free world.

He wasn't entirely sure if some of what he said. For all SHEILD knew, Jackson's mother could lose to a fully Hulked out Banner but Holt might be able to go fucking nova for all they knew. Deuce might be deadlier than Medusa- many snakes were most poisonous before reaching maturity. And some got more toxic as time went by.

The drive he they managed to crack (that they chose first by some miracle) contained what looked to be a documentary of sorts. What he Coulson and Hill reviewed prior to setting the pair loose on Avengers Tower. It wasn't very detailed (hence the Gameboy level security on it) and only covered Jekyll/Hyde's closest friends but did outline a few things to watch out for.

Frankly despite being portrayed as the most heinous creatures in lore, the monster world was full of surprisingly non hideous and downright benign looking creatures. It wasn't until you looked between the lines that the nightmare fuel was clear. Several in particular disturbed the head of SHIELD greatly.

A girl both sides of the boy had dated at one point had a habit of literally falling apart at the seams. Frankie Stein happened to be the daughter of Victor Frankenstein's creations. How that worked was anyone's guess. Especially since she told the camera how starting high school had been the most nerve wracking of all her first 15 days. More chilling? No one seemed to be bothered by the fact that she was stitched from dead teenaged girls. Wasn't her father? And mother?

Then there was her current boyfriend. A hybrid of unicorn and zombie. Just...how did that work?

The implications of yet another world were staggering. Knowing every nightmarish being humans have ever imagined could exist there? Disturbing.

*WTF*

"The pain. Dear Ra the pain..."

"Do not fear my child. You will be well again soon." Ramses stroked her hand.

Nefera moaned in her bed rather convincingly, prompting her father to demand his precious jewel be relieved of her anguish. He stationed shaubti servants to tend to her every whim 24 hours of the day. When the pharaoh left, she sighed. Then winced for real as she was helped to sit up. Her plan had gone off without a hitch.

That lowly serpent and his new whore were gone, her father was fawning over her and no one suspected a thing. After all, statuettes of the wrathful goddess Sekhmet had to be handled with care. It couldn't possibly be her fault a package meant for their father's museum/antique shop was mislabeled and sent to their home. Before it could be properly neutralized. She simply thought it was the new shoes and dress she ordered. Since she used their daddy's card, his name would naturally be on the package. How could she be blamed for a cursed artifact possessing her as soon as she touched it? The spell destroyed the figurine, so it having been damaged by her breaking the possession curse before she used it was untraceable. Oh yeah, she was cunning queen material for sure.

But even still, something distracted the pharaoh from properly praising his eldest. As a she was fanned and her pillows fluffed, she caught a glimpse of the room across the hall.

Ah, that. Her sister still lay unresponsive even almost a week after the surge. Their father doted on his youngest as she watched from afar. Down the hall she could hear Toralei screeching as her bandages were changed or whatever. Well, if she hadn't gotten in the way, she'd have been fine. All of them. Being the caster protected her from the worst of it. The statue only rebounded when those two and that human girl got in the way. Come to think of it, weren't Stripe's stooges there too?

No matter. DeNiles were strong and proud. Cleo would recover, eventually. Really she's fine. So it wasn't a big deal. After all their Mummy had the best healers money could buy working on them. And that fleabag was just fortunate he was paying for her recovery too. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made. Thankfully she wasn't the one to pay quite as dearly. Her wounds were, in all honesty, superficial but she received the royal treatment she rightfully deserved. Whoever's name she forged on the shipping order would probably get the axe (possibly literally). No skin off her perfect nose. Oh and she didn't have to go meet that boring Prince Memphis now. So what if the city was named after him? Ancient history, now he has to work for an unliving! So what if it was some hoity toity ceramic business? No real fortune, all his family had left was the Amonkah name for Ra sake!

Blech!

The first in line for the throne busied herself with ordering her attendants about and being fed that old cliche of peeled grapes. Unaware that her help weren't the only ones in the room. That someone had been watching for a while and was well aware she sometimes vocalized her musings. But she had never seen them even though they were never far away.

Watching.

Listening.

Waiting...

On another floor, a newly transformed Lilith sat brushing her now black and blood red hair. It hurt with how burned her hands had been but doing this had always helped her think. Truth be told, she wasn't really upset about her new look. Sure it had been jarring to wake up in a monster hospital and see her reflection in the mirror the first time. She screamed so loud the glass cracked.

After crying her eyes out, she got up the nerve to find out just what she was. A litu, a demon people who were often confused with succubi and incubi because of the similarity in appearance. Her kind were drawn to negative feelings and suffering. Though, with proper training, it was her people's way to alleviate, not cause them. In a messed up way her instincts had been drawing her to unrest and dissonance between humans and monsters but without tutelage in her powers she didn't know how to dispel the negativity and it of course drew her in. Now her hair was now far too long to put up in a bun anymore, now touching the small of her back. Her skin had taken on the pallor of fresh milk. Her nails now black as coal, shiny and iridescent like onyx. Her eyes like rubies floating in pools of rich black oil. Two dainty ivory horns sat nestled in her hair like barrettes. Her new look was simply surreal.

As time went on, she felt a sense of...calm? As if she always knew the peached skinned blonde had been some sort of disguise she had finally shed. Like the pieces had been staring her in the face but now they finally fit. It explained why there were no pictures of her parents. Her uncle would always tell her she was the spitting image of her mother- the sister he had no true record of. This is why the stories them were always so inconsistent. Her father had been everything from a missionary in Africa to a doctor treating naives in the wilds of Brazil. Her mother a writer who chronicled him. Or his nurse. Why in all her own searching she could find no tangible evidence of where she came from. A social worker had talked to her after she calmed down, a leprechaun woman named Mrs. Sine with no accent at all. And that's where her real worries began.

"Ms. VanHellscream, this places you in a very interesting situation. I don't wish to alarm you but you do have family in the middle east. Your parents' tribe that until now feared you dead."

"I, I understand."

"Child, I'm not sure you do. Your un- Dr. Vanhellscream may have been trying to protect you from the war in the area but in their eyes he stole you from your home. They may wish to pursue legal action."

"What?! Buy Uncle didn't do anything but love me!"

"Never the less, it appears he made no effort to locate them once the danger had passed. That he used magic to conceal you. I understand that he had come to love and care for you as sure as you were his flesh and blood but that doesn't give him the right to deny you your scaritage. If these accusations are true, what he did Lilith was wrong."

"But-!"

"Calm yourself. Now, the situation is under investigation. You may have nothing to worry about dear- he may simply have done all he could to find other Litu and having no luck decided to raise you." She smiled. "I simply don't believe it's fair to tell you the case could go one way or the other without giving you the whole story. Hope is certainly important and you must never lose it. Perhaps you're just in need of a wee bit of luck.."

*WTF*

Nefera is a bitch. We all know this. Cleo can be one too but we've seen that as stuck up as she is she cares about people. She'd just rather do her good deeds so know one knows they were her doing. No such character development with Nefera. In fact the only instance we see that she might have a heart is in the KIND webisode, and just barely at that. One of the special episodes that have no actual relation to the main story at all. The eldest DeNile has a bad case of narcissistic personality disorder. She cannot perceive much of anything outside herself and feels she does no wrong. All misfortune that befalls her is someone else's fault and if she has to stomp innocent people into the ground to get her way, too bad for them. She's entitled to whatever she wants and demands attention. Notice how she came across as jealous that her UNCONSCIOUS BECAUSE OF HER sister has their father's attention? Yeah that coma's just a sympathy ploy in her mind.

As much of an attention whore as she is, I don't think she'll be all that flattered to learn of her stalker...

Many of the questions I posed at the beginning will factor into my fic somehow. I'll be getting around to Porter and Invisibilly next chapter. More on their foray into vigilantism, and their own interesting backstories.

Love it? Hate it? Still wondering if I've lost my mind? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	7. Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

Got caught up with my Descendants fic but here's another chapter at last. I've also decided to add chapter names. And awaaaay we go!

*WTF*

Captain America stood blinking, neck craned to take in the sight. But his brain sort of refused to process what it was seeing.

"Not...one...word." Natasha spoke evenly despite being held up a leather clad puppet.

"Fuck that! Lemme outta here!" A muffled shout and the frantic movement of the the tarp turned sack suspended beside her answered the question of where Hawkeye was. The pair were trussed up at the dead end of a closed off subway tunnel. The pathway leading to them littered with unconscious or concussed agents. Each had been tagged with graffiti; even the marksman's cloth prison had the words "FUCK OFF" scrawled across it.

"This is kinda neat." Ironman tugging on one of the ropes. Black Widow's left leg reared back then shot forward when he released it. Kicking Clint. "You're a literal kick ass marionette!"

"Ow!"

"God damn it Stark stop that and get us down!" She barked.

"How did this even happen?" Steve waved vaguely at the whole scene.

"We met an honest to god teenaged poltergeist. And a kid that can make himself invisible even to infrared. Neither responded well to being cornered." Clint supplied. "Is anyone gonna cut us down?"

"It might be bit tricky. Seeing as you're the counterweight to the ridiculous set up that is Tasha's strings. These ropes are pretty intricately positioned for a jerry rigged pulley system. How long did this take?"

"How should I know Stark? I woke up like this." She huffed.

"I think lil boy blue did it. The last thing I remember is seeing pale blue hands grab me" The bag muttered.

"Lil boy- wha?" The Super Soldier pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right now, I don't care. Let's just get you two down."

It took an hour to get the two assassins down. About 40 minutes longer than it should have. As Tony predicted in the whole thing was comprised of an improvised pulley system that used the pair to balance eachother out. So cutting cords willy nilly could have sent the pair zipping off in opposite directions. Which would probably suck for both.

So once the duo were free and all the injured loaded up, it was back to HQ.

"Did the two beings look like this?"

On screen the image of a translucent, green teen giving the peace sign to the camera while upside-down in mid air. Beside it one of a boy with light blue skin and dark blue hair grinning, and missing the bottom half of his body, appeared.

"Yep." Clint grumbled before bucking some pain killers.

"Well you just encountered Invisibilly Where and Porter Geist. Son of the Invisible Man and of Poltergeists respectively. Where is known to put insane amounts of physics detail in his pranks and Geist will vandalize anything with spraypaint and is also a known accomplice to Where's stunts. We have no evidence that the two are violent." Hill addressed them when they returned to the tower

"What is with the punny names?" Bruce mumbled.

"So was what happened in that tunnel a fever dream?! Those little freaks almost killed like a dozen grunts and tied us up like christmas presents!" Clint balked.

"Sir-"

"Hold on JARVIS, you mean the fact that undoing their little trap had the potential to seriously maim and/or 86 two Avengers doesn't qualify as violent? What the hell does?" Stark laughed. "Do we wait for them to flat out kill someone?"

"Sir, Misters Gorgon and Jekyll are no longer in the tower."

"..."

"They left roughly 15 minutes before the team arrived back at base."

"And you let them just walk out and alerted no one?" Hill asked, obviously annoyed. "That means those two have been gone almost an hour!"

"Madame I was unable to even tell anyone of their departure until now. A time delay was introduced to my program by a certain young mad scientist." JARVIS actually sounded miffed. "There are also several new sculptures at various points between their room and the rear exit of the tower. Mr. Gorgon confessed that these agents may be petrified for a longer or shorter period of time than your 10 hours spent as a statue sir."

"These kids are pissing me off." Tony grumbled. Not only was he being out done constantly but constantly out done by someone who's voice was breaking. In the short time the pair had been there, science boy reprogramed pretty much anything he damn well pleased. Including making their entire room a blindspot to CCTV and inaccessible short of blowing the doors apart unless one of them allowed it. Spangles made the mistake of wondering what they were up to. To which Bruce replied: "They're teenagers, regardless of species. Think about it Steve." It was a hoot to watch the All-American good ole boy turn cherry red though.

Science boy also took hacking most of Tony's servers as some sort hobby. Not to mention his boytoy had a habit of smashing or stoning things that got too close to either of them. Or were bothering him in general. Scaley spent his time not stuck to his boyfriend's hip in on the basketball court but no one was dumb enough to play a pickup game with a guy who could poison them if they brushed against him. And now they, plus whatever Nat and Katniss found were wanding about unchecked.

What god or gods did the piss off this time?!

*WTF*

Somewhere, a dark haired, green eyed deity of mischief sneezed and absently wondered if Jotun could catch colds. Shrugging he continued the loom weaving that had take up most of his time for several days now.

*WTF*

This was The Big Apple.

Weird shit happened here all the time. The public knew for a fact that in one of the city's tallest buildings lived the following:

Two top assassins/spies with really high body counts

A super soldier from WWII

A scientist who could become a big green rage monster

A billionaire playboy businessman whose other suit is powered by a reactor

The norse god of thunder

So, when a quartet of bizarre looking teens appeared at a sidewalk cafe it wasn't the strangest thing ever. Still...

The waiter initially thought they were in costume. Kids do crazy things right? So imagine his shock at poking a supposedly fake but very realistic head piece and it biting his pen. Then noticing the cars passing on the street were sorta visible THROUGH one of them. One didn't have a right arm until the see thru kid nudged him and it freaking reappeared. The only non freakish one looked him dead in the eye and asked what the special was.

So 20 minutes later, the group remained the center of attention. And totally unfazed by it, carrying on just as casually.

"Man was I starving!" One whose entire color scheme happened to be shades of blue practically inhaled his whole main lobster and the side of lemon chiffon pie. Not a single slice, but an entire tin of it sat empty before him.

"You said it dude. Hiding out for 4 days didn't give us much choice in grub." A semi translucent green boy dressed like a street artist with a chain motif had already devoured 3 hot dogs buried in relish and two whole spicy pickles. A few patrons were sort of wondering how it wasn't just passing through him.

"You still eat like a pig Porter." The only normal looking boy adjusted his glasses before resuming his consumption of a rather large bowl of mac and cheese. Beside his bowl a plate of hot wings sat ignored.

"At least it's all going in his mouth. I've seen Clawd eat and THAT is far more nauseating." The one with real writhing snakes on his head laughed poking at his pastisio. He didn't really look interested in eating it though.

"This place is nice and all but how can you afford it? I'm pretty sure this baby cost more than you make working at the food court Deuce." The blue boy blinked his grey eyes in confusion, nodding to the empty shell.

"Damn right Invisibilly but I'm not footing the bill. Our generous but ironically slow witted hosts are." The one with serpentine hair held up a charge cards emblazoned with the Avengers logo. "They won't miss a few hundred...or thousand bucks."

"Pick pocketing? For shame." The ghost teen teased.

"Shut up Porter. You've got way stickier fingers than me. Besides to pickpocket it has to be in a pocket."

"Wha?" Invisibilly raised a brow.

"This card is just one with a computer generated magnetic strip I linked to their account." The normal kid said. "For a clandestine agency of world police they are stupidly easy to steal from."

A couple of kids skateboarded by, rock music blaring. And a flash of fire scared the shit out of fellow diners nearest the group (one man shrieked louder than his small daughter...whose reaction was "Cool!" by the way). In place of the only ordinary one at the table now sat a much bluer golden eyed version with flaming hair and a tattoo around his left eye. Who pushed the bowl aside and started in on the buffalo wings. After fiddling with his red skull themed headphones.

"Holt, that's not fair." Duece sighed.

"Come on D-baby he ordered these for me. No sense in lettin em get cold." The new teen smiled, casually licking sauce from his fingers.

"Like you couldn't reheat them yourself."

"Jackie Boy will get over it."

"Owf guz gat efen ork?"

"Gross dude!" All 3 gagged at Porter talking with a mouth full of chewed up hot dog and pickles. A few flecks escaping to the table.

"How does that even work? I mean Jackson ate like most of that huge bowl. Shouldn't you be full?" He swallowed, unbothered by his own behavior.

"Dunno. Don't care. Never been a problem before." Holt shrugged. "How much is on that thing?"

"No idea but guessing it's a lot. Why?"

"We've been locked in a glass cage for like a week and they've been dodging the same goons we sorta fell on top of. I say we go have some fun on those chump's dime!"

*WTF*

"Hello? Xavier School for the Gifted." Scott Summers, on off hours known as Cyclops, picked up his staff cellphone. "Stop that!"

"Excuse me?"

"Not you sir, there's a bit of a situation here but...ow! Uh, how can I help you?"

There was a crash on Scott's end and some shouting. The caller remained silent, presumably looking at his receiver in disbelief.

"Please tell me you people are missing 4 students." An exhausted voice sighed on the other end of the line.

"Um...no? All our kids are accounted for."

"Fuck. So we do hafta call SHIELD. Aren't they paying people to watch out for this shit?!"

"I'm sorry who is this-CHRIST GET DOWN! Hello? Hello? Whatev- WHOA!" Sliding the phone into pocket, the laser eyed mutant did a tuck and roll to avoid the falling book case. Which landed on Bobby and KOed him. Summers could only glare up at the two giggling female feline mutants hanging from the chandelier.

On the other end a ride operator at Luna Park was still trying to understand something . How the guys who saved them from an alien invasion (and if the conspiracy nut jobs were to believed were keeping track of everything from what you search online to what brand of kibble your pets prefer) couldn't figure out a bunch of supernatural teenagers had one of their credit cards and had spent more money than he made a week in 3 god damned hours.

*WTF*

Yes, I have dragged the X-Men into this and lookit who they found, Meowlody and Purrsephone! Pity them. I'll let you decide who I mean.

And truth be told, if you have the right equipment, computer skills and a complete lack of moral compass you can indeed imprint a dummy card with the access information of a legit account. Skimmers do it all the time. As I have said before there is an explanation for the seemly OOC behavior, it's just not time to reveal it yet. It does pertain to the application of logic to the MH universe.

Oh! And you might have noticed the foods each boy ate at the cafe happens to be his favorite one or the closest approximation I could find to a real world dish.

Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	8. Steampunk'd

Hi. This chapter is part plot progression, part history lesson, part me trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for something th MH creators never bothered to. As of yet :P

Onward!

*WTF*

If asked, and pressed to answer with absolute honesty, Josiah H Sternbuckle would say he knew with 99.9% certainty the exact moment his life went round rum*. The funny thing about it, depending upon what point you knew him in his life, most would guess different but terribly wrong answers.

Most people might logically say the day he lost his left arm in a gruesome accident in his father's textile factory. Curiosity at the machinery got to be too much for the 10 year old. He tripped and fell into a winding spool and an elder gentlemen who had been working at that station got showered in bloody gore. Poor chap had a heart attack on the spot. Dead as a doornail before he hit the ground. Family hid the disfigured boy away initially.

Those who knew of the Sternbuckle family personally might say when it was discovered how unnatural he was. The loss of his left arm didn't affect him the way it would most. Sure there was pain but in terms of outlook one could find his reaction...odd. Instead of crying over it, he saw it as an opportunity to keep making his tinker toys, make things easier for himself. Which was acceptable. What was NOT acceptable was him, at the age of 12, showing up at one of the business dinners his father hosted (after locking himself in his room for a month; they assumed he was just in a mood so there's some insight into their A+ parenting...) with two arms. While one was rather stiff in it's movement that could be ignored if he didn't draw attention to it. Covered by his suit jacket and a pair of silk gloves no one could tell it was odd. Which was out of the question as all of London knew Maximilian Sternbuckle's only son was missing an appendage.

When his parents demanded to know what he had done, he proudly show them the fruit of his labor. Though rather crude and basic, the steel wire frame held the shape of an arm while a leather molding about a malleable hand shaped plate felt remarkably like the real thing if encased in it's glove. Still something to be amazed that a child created much less thought of. Any parent today would be proud. But back then, concern for their reputation overrode such notions. People whispered about how freakish Josiah was. How it just wasn't normal. Some even accused the Sternbuckles of pulling an elaborate hoax with their son's injury to gain sympathy of some sort.

Those who knew of the Sternbuckles by reputation might say it was the day he was very publicly disowned. Having no aspirations of being a businessman but instead a scientist, Josiah balked at the Imperialist way of life insisting any philosophy that kept humanity divided served no purpose. Not one thing made him better or worse than the next person. Great discoveries and advancements shouldn't be hoarded but shared with the world.

"You've chosen the world over your family name have you? Then let the world take care of you you worthless boy!" His father roar while bodily tossing him out of the house.

Josiah found himself homeless without a pence to his name at 17.

The next year was quite hard. Keeping himself afloat doing odd jobs, staying in seedy flats and on many occasions going without proper food or clothing was in dead a rather low point in his life. But, everything really turned on it's ear when he found himself in the company of two strange children. In all honesty he mistook them for a pair of toffers*- who but an abbess* would so lavishly dress two lovely little girls and leave them to trounce about alone? In this neighborhood?!

On the way back from the market with the bit of bread and canned meat he could afford for the week, he first saw the two giggling as they walked. The brunette absently twirling her curls, the ginger fanning herself. Both ignoring the hungry or disgusted stares. They noticed Josiah and made a beeline for him, perfectly in sync. Now he was beyond nervous. Their cash carrier* was likely nearby and ready to aggressively drive off penniless distractions to his merchandise.

Bloody hell.

"Hello." The redhead smiled.

"Do you think he sees us Clara see us?" the brunette asked.

What? Of course he saw them. A man without eyes could see them!

"The eyes can lie, can't they Marie?" The ginger girl winked as if reading his mind and proving a point. Alright winked was a stretch. Her eye shuttered, like china doll's when lain down. Now that he really took a gander, he could see both girls seemed to have literal doll's eyes! When their heads moved, their eyes sort of lagged or oddly wobble; they just didn't quite move right.

"He does see us. Uncle/Father would love to meet you." They spoke as one and took his hand- the prosthetic hadn't exactly been in the best condition to be used for some time. Before he could protest, he heard the chime of a shop door bell and found himself standing in fancy toy/candy store. No where near his meager digs.

"Wh-what on Earth?!"

"Ah! What have my lovelies brought me today?" A voice called. The sound of shuffling, then the red curtain behind the counter being thrown open yielded a older gentleman with a snow white beard and hair. A patch covering his left eye.

"One who sees father." The dark haired girl, Marie, beamed. She removed her overcoat and gloves as she spoke, as did her...sister? Cousin? Revealing the two to be dressed in matching white silk and lace dresses. It struck him at that instant how identical they looked despite the hair color. The same height and build, the same cherubic facial structure. Both were pale with a few freckles dusting their cheeks and noses in the same places. Hair styled in tight ringlets held in twin tails that spilled down past their shoulders. Even their hazel eyes matched. The only way to tell them apart from the neck down would be to compare Marie's sky blue sashes about her dress's waist and hem the similar but canary yellow ones sewn to Clara's. Their shoes, elegant ballet slippers laced up and encrusted with jewels, matching the sashes.

"Does he now?" The man stroked his beard, giving Josiah an appraising look. "So rare to meet humans who can so naturally pierce the veil. Welcome to Drosselmeyer's, makers of unique trinkets and fine confectioneries. Edvard Drosselmeyer at your service. My daughter Marie and niece Clara. Might an old man inquire as to your name?"

"..." What did he mean human? Did that mean those girls weren't? That certainly made sense. The old man wasn't either? Then what manner of creature den had he stumbled upon?

"Your name young man." Edvard sighed then chided. "The real one."

"Jo- Hexicah. Hexicah Steam." It wasn't his birth name but, for some reason, it felt...right.

*WTF*

Beneath Monster High, a certain copper toned young (looking) robot and her friends scoured the catacombs for clues. They ghouls had managed to sneak into the cordoned off area to investigate what really happened.

"Looks like a bomb went off." Robecca surveyed the wrecked lab.

"This is insane. Not only are Cleo and Toralei pretty beat up but now Lilith's a monster? And several of our guy and ghoulfriends missing too!" Clawdeen sighed.

"[Nefera's in the hospital too.]" Ghoulia moaned.

"Your point being?" the werewolf snorted.

"That's not nice." Draculaura tsked her friend.

"It may seem harsh but I kinda agree." Lagoona toed a bit of rubble that used to be part of a desk. "This is just too, I don't know. But something fishy happened down here and Her Royal Pain in the Tail Fin isn't on the up and up."

"[The energy readings down here are off the chart. The spatial flux that had to to have occurred in the incident could have caused a tear in time space...the backlash should have destroyed the school.]" Ghoula adjusted her glasses as she fiddled with her scanner."[Something contained it.]"

"So whatever this was might have vaporized the monsters we can't find." Robecca shivered.

"WHAT?!' Draculaura shrieked. "That's not true is it? Ghoulia say it isn't true!"

"[Without more concrete evidence, I can only hypothesize. But well, it IS a possibility.]"

"Then why didn't the catacombs collapse? What could contain that much force?" Frankie groaned. "Ugh, I wish I was better at Mad Science. This is gonna have me tearing out my stitches!"

"Uh, guys-" Lagoona began.

"Anything that mighta be recordin is through." Clawdeen tapped the charred equipment situated at the blackened wall to her right.

"Guys look!" Lagoona shouted. The wall beside the fashionista seemed to have been damaged by the explosion beyond a resurfacing. Dull light leaked from the cracks in the stone- how had that been missed?! A gentle tap from her manicured claw caused the brittle wall to fully collapse. The mouths of all 6 ghouls hit the floor. As did Ghoulia's handheld device.

There, in a stasis tube was a man who hadn't been seen in over 200 years.

"F-father?" Liquid water, not steam poured from her eyes. This was impossible, no a miracle! One that lead to so many questions! If he'd been here all this time why had no one noticed? Someone had to put him there. WHY?!

If not so distracted by her racing thoughts, she might have noticed a flourish of white silk rounding the opposite corner. Or the light, coquettish giggle that followed.

*WTF*

Yup. That's a bit of history relevant to the plot. That causes problems with continuity. But if you've read the diaries, the movies and animated series already do that. Lemee explain:

According to Robecca's Diary, Hexiciah Steam vanished along with a team exploring the catacombs about a hundred years before she attends Monster High the current roster of ghouls. Fine so far. "Freaky Fusion" makes it clear the school was established around 1814. So, Hexicah had to have been at least 130 years old at the time he vanished. But "Frights, Camera, Action!" clearly states over 400 years have passed between Elisabat running away and Draculaura finding her in Hauntlywood. Pushing that number up to 430 at least. Forget the time issue in terms of actual history (New Orleans which New Goreleans is based upon is less than 300 year old...) Hexicah is a normie. Meaning ages and dies like a mortal. From what's been presented about him so far, he had only succeeded in creating his prosthetic arm so...WTF?! How could he survive all that time? So since there is no consensus between the writers, I am also taking liberties. Since the European land grabs on other continents began as soon as Columbus got his overeager ass lost and refused to admit it, imperialism could be traced to the early 1500s though it's more commonly a label for the late 19th thru early 20th centuries. It started to peter out due to the empire buster/political clusterfuck known as WWI but the treaties to end WWII officially ended the remaining empires lumbering about.

But Hexciah and Robecca's character designs place them in the Victorian Era (the time period that inspired the steampunk genre) which happened 1837-1901...well after the school was founded therefore his character design in "Freaky Fusion" is in accurate. The fact that Robecca was built sometime before he disappeared but years after the school was built however does make her more likely to have been made in Victorian England. Nevertheless, the slang I used is Victorian so let's just toss some of those date out the window and agree they happened at some nebulous time in the past. Before I have an aneurysm.

These are the things that bother me people. (sigh)

*gone/went round rum- not really a slang term but used by a cosplay group I once ran into. Similar to around the bend, it more specifically mean when things have gone/went from normal to what the fuck is happening right now?!

abbess- brothel madam/ female pimp

toffer- high class prostitute

cash carrier- guy who handles a prostitute's money; protects/keeps an eye on them while they work. A pimp.

And there's a reason Clara and Marie look so similar even though they are supposedly cousins. Hint: In the Nutcracker Ballet, the name for the female lead has been written both as Clara and Marie at times.

Love it? Hate it? No strong feelings either way? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!

Shameless self promotion: Trying to get more feedback on my new RoC fic Equivalence is Relative, a FMA story.


	9. Unreasonable and Irrational

Q and A time!

Q: Does this fic have a plot?

A: Actually, yes, now it does. Fics I give chapter titles to do in fact have plots unless otherwise stated; that's just my style. The only fics that deviate from this are complete so it doesn't matter.

Q:What was up with the creepy doll girls and that old man?

A: They are loosely based on characters from the Nutcracker Ballet. And no they aren't cameos, they are important to the plot. In short, Edvard, Clara and Marie Drosselmeyer are living proof that monsters and humans are not that different. They've popped up un-named at least once or twice (or more n_n) before I actually introduced them. Can you guess where?

Q: Why did Josiah/Hexicah's family reject him?

A: Their pragmatic views on life and family and the whole you must uphold the family name. Maximilian and his wife were more concerned about the prestige their son could bring to their family name by following in his father's footsteps, not spouting scientific and philosophical gibberish while the family business runs into the ground. His happiness wasn't a factor he was expected to be successful. In their minds guaranteed security of an established textile manufacture vs strange scientific ventures was no contest.

Q: You've used elements of a lot of MH's different media; mostly the diaries and movies. Will Boo York, Boo York be added?

A: Believe it or not, around the time I came up with a method to this madness, I found out the main plot of the movie, then I saw it last Sunday. I LOVES IT! So yeah parts of it will be put into this. I will try not to post actual spoilers to the movie in the story until after the official DVD release date 9/29/15. Though if you've been reading this fic and watched the trailers, you can prolly guess the main ships are going down like the Titanic ;P

Q: There's a lot going on in both worlds. Is all of it relevant? It's not just fluff right?

A: It's all relevant. I promise; even the stuff that doesn't seem to be.

So, let's go.

*WTF*

He loved his bros. Really.

But something that bothered him was the fact that the few times he went anywhere with Deuce and Jackson/Holt, people just assumed he was gay one time they didn't happened to be when he went with them to see a movie on a triple date with Scarah, Heath and Abbey. No girls present? Must be a boys night out, wink wink. It wasn't that Billy had a fear of being labeled gay- he was QUITE secure in his masculinity thank you very much. It was the whole assuming and labeling thing period. Why can't a group of people hang out without getting into someone's pants being the only factor? And there was no fucking middle ground.

If he was at Maul with Scarah? Oh look at the cute couple!

Out with the guys in any configuration? He suddenly has the attention of every male in the area and girls could be heard muttering about all the really cute guys being attracted to just each other.

Hanging with just the ghouls (mainly Venus, Jinafire, Catty, Twyla and by extension Howleen and Gigi)? That one was a toss up. Either he was just one of the ghouls...or a horn dog with an entourage. Catty being a popstar on hiatus did not help that one.

No. Middle. Ground.

Twyla once told him if life were an anime, he'd be one of those characters people couldn't tell was male or female right away, a bishounen. Being able to understand the cultural origin of that word pissed him off a bit but she just laughed and explained he was one of those rare individuals who through no fault of their own could be considered "pretty" by and mistaken for either gender. That human and monster alike were prone to assumptions based on stereotypes and other inaccurate or incomplete information. A lot of nightmares and fantasies were fueled by it too.

Assumptions. That's what bothered him. It's reason he had memories and old photos instead of a mother. Dad didn't talk about what happened to her but he already knew-it's kind of hard to hide the fact that their living room had been blown to hell. The police classified it as a hate crime- a group that thought humans were trying to infiltrate monster society for nefarious purposes mailed them a bomb that left no trace of her save a black smudge. The ones responsible were caught fairly quickly. His father moved what was left of their family to New Salem soon after.

Invisibilly was born in Hauntleywood, one of the places where the veil was naturally very weak. Many elements from it's sister city Hollywood bled over and vice versa- you'd be surprised how many Oscar and Grammy winners were secretly monsters. Or how many outcast normies successfully passed themselves off as black carpet regulars. His mother was a normie woman who met his dad when he she worked at Universoul Studios. Azayaka Mezurashiito* found her prospects of being a costume designer/makeup artist rather bleak on her side of the veil. She quickly made a name her herself as "that scary human woman you better not rush" when she chewed out a diva past her prime who tried blaming her for a poor shoot.

"If you showed up on time to set I wouldn't have had to do a rush job. A face like that needs all the help it can get." she snarked at an aging Gnarline harpy woman had a terrible attitude, treated everyone around her like trash and Aza already had a killer headache from all her earlier bitching. Noah instantly became smitten with her boldness.

Her family...wasn't so smitten. Already upset that she chose Tinseltown over literally any more practical avenue of employ, they were even less thrilled to learn she was married with a child 6 years after leaving home and never calling. Then outraged at the family she had made and the creepy subdivision their rental car drove to. They had to hire a private investigator to even locate her as she had moved clear across the country. To be fair, there was a reason for that.

"Noah's at work, not that you'd want to meet him anyhow. Billy-chan and I just got home from my office."

"He's blue!" Her mother shrieked once the child came into view reaching for the cookie jar on the counter.

"I am aware. Billy, this is your sobo Akiko. The man slowly turning purple is your sofu Nissei." Azayaka sighed.

"Hajimemashite!" 4 year old Invisibilly beamed.

"THAT is NOT our grandchild! It's an abomination!" Nissei roared, causing the child to jump back in fright and turning invisible. Shocking his grandparents further. His mother lifting him up to comfort him looked like she was holding nothing.

"If all you're going to do is hurt my son's feelings the door's that way."

"Aza-ko, how could you marry one of those...creatures? Muchless bed one?!" Akiko had to sit down. If that's what it's spawn looked like...dear lord. "How can you live like this?"

"I married the man I love mother just as I followed my dreams. I now have a successful company, a darling, bright son and a husband who'd move heaven and earth for the both of us. I left because you claimed I was such an embarrassment and you had no problem with it then so why track me down now?" a sob could be heard and suddenly she could be seen stroking his back but his knit cap was the only other thing to reappear.

"Your brother is sick Aza-ko, and he needs your help." Akiko began to explain, eyeing the barely there child. Her elder brother Jinpachi was deathly ill. A lifetime of being a party animal and a general fuck up will do that. Now they wanted her to give up a part her liver to replace the overcooked slab of leather currently rotting in his gut. They expected the unwanted daughter to save their golden boy. Finally be of use. It was her obligation.

Mr. and Mrs. Mezurashiito found themselves on the front porch so fast their heads spun. The door slamming in their faces when they tried to protest. Invisibilly never saw them again. Not even at her funeral.

Assumptions made his poor mother's life hard growing up. And when she finally had gotten out from under it, assumptions destroyed it. All assuming did was cause problems.

So excuse the son of the Invisible Man for punching the asshat that asked Porter if he could get sloppy seconds, while in line for the Ghost Hole, in the goddamn face. Actually without the past trauma, that's still a pretty understandable reaction to a stranger asking one of your best bloodies if they can fuck you after he was done.

But it didn't warrant the SWAT team storming the park.

"Mr. Jekyll, Mr. Gorgon you have no idea the trouble you and your little friends have been causing these past 6 hours." A doughy guy in suit walked out of the parting crowd and stopped right in front of the four monster teens. Porter was sweating bullets now and Billy had started flickering as his heart started to race. Turning to look at the friends the guy addressed he wanted to scream.

Deuce nonchalantly sipped his soda; the glasses made it impossible to see his full expression. But Jackson took the cake, his iCoffin dying a while back forced him and Holt to swap so he was now holding a giant Hello Kitty plushie Deuce had won for them and staring at the suit with a bored expression.

"With all due respect Agent Coulson, it took SHIELD that long to find us? Aside from that brief hotel stay and that nice cafe, we've been here all day." he snorted. The man, Coulson, looked startled at being called by name. "They really pulled you away from your team to scold us for running away and spending Uncle Fury's money without permission?"

"I guess we were right about you then. You're not a sweet and innocent as you look Mr. Jekyll." Coulson laughed. "Alright boys, fun's over."

"Mm, I'm tired anyway. Let's go guys." Jackson yawned as he walked towards the exit. "The beds are really soft."

"Okay, who was that and what did they do with the timid, awkward not so normie we all know and love?" Billy stage whispered to Deuce.

"Things happen. People change." The greek shrugged and followed behind his boyfriend

*WTF*

In my head cannon Mr. Where's first name is Noah, aren't puns fun? Invisibilly's mom's name is Japanese and when written traditionally (surname first) means "rare and vivid"; Mezurashii **to** Azayaka; conversely her married name is Vivid Where and could be interpreted as as a somewhat disturbing question. Speaking of which...doesn't her death seem oddly familiar?

bishounen- literally beautiful boy and often label male characters with and effeminate appearance.

sobo and sofu are what grandma and grandpa are called within the family.

Hajimemashite! Nice to meet you!

-chan is a term of endearment often used with younger children or by close friends and family

-ko is a term of endearment added to female names

Ghost Hole is a haunted house type ride at Luna Park

Love it? Hate it? No strong feelings either way? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	10. Getting to Know You Part II

I've gotten some advice that if I unjumble this fic, it might be easier to read. To which I agree. However I'm lazy. While I would love to do that, I don't think I should bother until I'm done then revamp it later. The main reason being this was originally just a wild plunnie I only recently tamed not a planned out story. Did I mention I'm lazy?

This chapter contains a scene that might cause male and sympathetic female readers to cross their legs. Don't worry it's short though.

Onwards!

*WTF*

Hestia Hyde knew something was wrong the instant she awoke. Over the years she and Janet had gotten body timeshare down to a fine art so the instances when she was in control were rarely due to her sister flipping out in some fashion but more scheduled. Though Crispen had a lot to do with that. As did becoming mothers.

So a quick look at the calendar beside the computer confirmed something wasn't right. Her agent had scheduled an charity exhibition match between Ms Atlas and some schmuck on the American Professional Wrestling circuit she couldn't care less about. It was to raised money to promote interspecies relations so she was down for it. Guy was a showboating pretty boy used to gimmicky (re:chauvinistic) crap when 'wrestling' females. All of which would get him killed if he tried on her. Hes took one look at the guy and had an "I'll try not to launch you into LEO so long as you don't forget I absolutely can" clause added to the contract. When the brute's manager scoffed at being told LEO meant Low Earth Orbit, she hefted El Toro Acero's (The Iron Bull) tour bus and chucked it into a (thankfully) vacant lot a block away. Then El Toro Acero, mask or no, looked like he wanted to cry. Somehow the APW thought blue skinned, 314 lbs and, 6'8" without heels translated to glandular problem or steroid abuse. Not female monster; who was actually the smallest adult in her family (Hyde wise). Despite Mr and Ms Atlas being monster bodybuilding titles. Honestly!

Anyway that was a week and a half away. They weren't supposed to swap until 4 days before to give Janice time to arrange for her 8 day absence at work and give her time to get from Salem to Las Plagus. And enjoy herself while there. So to be staring at their laptop while the video program remained open and recording wasn't good. Hesitantly she rewound the clip.

/Oh, Hes I oh...calm. Relax." Janice looked so flustered. "Hes, I know we decided that the boys would grow up to be their own persons, we left them in the dark about each other so they'd never feel like just half a person. And I don't regret why. But...Hes something has happened that makes me think we might have made a terrible mistake keeping them out of the monster world. Well we didn't exactly hide their heritage but..oh...deep breath. Holt and Jackson don't know I've seen it but, well, they have a claim mark./

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Oh hell no! No wonder Jan was a nervous wreck. That was the real reason they had a blow out with their parents...and didn't speak to them again until the boys were 5. Both women were appalled at the idea of subjugating Crispen to insure he could never leave the family. And knowing their father did the same to her didn't phase Lucinda Jekyll nee Bateman one bit as she tried to offer the same potion to her daughters to use on their beloved. Sure their version didn't include biting but I wasn't any better! Every woman who married into their clan was forced to become the pet of their husband. When Janice and Hestia were born it was...odd. Never had a girl been born into the family since before the experiment. Still, they demanded the tradition be upheld.

Pass.

/Hes I'm scared. I find it so hard to believe they'd just let it happen. What if their...mate...forced this on them? For the bond to take the attraction only has to be one way...and those are the worst ones! It makes the master slave relationship, not one based on love!/ Jan wrung her hands. /Deuce seems like a really nice boy. Still I also know gorgons are a powerful, possessive, aggressive race of monsters historically. No matter how sweet he seems, he's still the son of the Warrior Queen Medusa. She's the artistic type now but for millennia she was the scariest thing to come out of the Greek Isles. And despite letting her kingdom become a constitutional monarchy a few centuries back, at any time she can dissolve the legislature and become supreme ruler again. She's also let it slip her ex isn't that great a person either. Her son was supposed to be some kind of present for his father Zeus./

Okay, that sounds terrible but hmm...Deuce? Wait wasn't he dating that mummy girl?

/I know what you're thinking- he and Rames' youngest were a couple but they split up. And Deuce must have bitten Jackson and Holt like right after, the wound is too healed over to be new. Gods what if he got sick of her and moved on to our boys because they seemed easier to control? Jackson is so shy and Holt isn't but both want nothing more than to finally fit in, be accepted. What if they let him do this out of peer pressure? Or worse he cornered them and didn't give them a choice-?!/

The rant stopped as her skin took on a familiar blue tint and brown bled to blonde. Now Hestia was watching herself wake up and stare blankly in confusion.

Her sister was right to be afraid. Despite Medusa appearing to be an artsy fartsy bohemian now, she used to be one bad bitch. Still is in the right situations. For example Hes knew the whole story about Perseus, she'd met the asshole at a competition once. Or rather seen him drinking like a fish at the hotel bar after one with a bunch of other bastards crowing about how he got revenge on the only woman to defy him. Get him liquored up and he sung like a canary. He regretted their break up for less than obvious reasons.

Long story short, eons ago Zeus had the only male gorgon known at the time as his personal guard. He wanted to let Nanas, said gorgon, have someone to talk to. This seemed legit until you realize Zeus kept him as a slave and was looking to expand his little army by gaining another slave. Gorgons had long since stopped interbreeding for this reason. Females could do so asexually but only beget daughters this way. And any sired were always male. It had been centuries since one had been fathered; since Zeus forced her little brother into servitude. In the aftermath of a war he waged to conquer her people (in which Zeus' forces got curb stomped by an army of half naked snake women) Queen Medusa ruled a string of islands where all species were welcome but the only males that could set foot there had to be human. All others could dock but were to remain on their ships. The gods themselves were not exempt but could keep their temples in her domain. Depending on who you asked, she was a goddess herself. And this is how she met Perseus.

Unaware of who his father was, she fell in love with him. After some time she laid a single egg. Before she could inform him, her overprotective best friend Athena disguised herself as a passing sea merchant's daughter, brought him aboard her ship and got him drunk. She learned he planned to present the child of his union with Medusa to his father as a gift. For her to bear him an army. And if she objected, he had no problem beheading her. Medusa refused to believe it until Athena, disgusted by her half brother's actions and their father's petty reasons for allowing it, proposed a simple test. Promising to appologize if she turned out to be wrong.

So one night after they'd been intimate. Medusa gave him wine and innocently asked to meet his father. When he drunkenly confessed Zeus would LOVE to meet her and all the strong babies they'd make, she giggled coyly and made to give him a happy ending. Instead, she bit his wing dang doodle off. Coin purse included. Then SWALLOWED the whole kit and kaboodle, right in front of him. Next she drop kicked the bastard into the sea her palace overlooked like a god damned Spartan. Still naked with her mouth covered in blood, she marched before her people to decry neither Zeus nor any of his ilk to be worthy of her subjects' favor. Instead his wise daughter Athena, his only child not born of his insatiable lust, to be the patron deity of her lands.

Deuce was his first and only child conventionally conceived to this day. Not even the gods could heal a wound infused with the venom of the gorgon queen. Only Medusa herself could. So yeah he was fucked. All daddy could do was make him immortal. And enable him to knock up Andromeda the same way his old man did his mom Danae...as a shower of golden rain. You bet your ass that was exactly as fun for him as it sounded.

Still he managed to get even. Vilifying her in human legends, making Athena seem like a petty victim shaming bitch and creating the a myth where he did kill Medusa, keeping her head as a trophy/weapon. Poseidon however did not appreciate being dragged into a bunch of drama llama crap he hadn't a damned thing to do with and being painted as an over sexed creep. ("What the absolute FUCK, Perseus?! You lil shit!" he raged after hearing the myth retold outside one of his temples.) Old Percy even managed to make himself one of the few greek mythical heroes to die of old age not some unspeakable tragedy.

A millennium and several hundred years later, he learned she had cast a spell to keep the egg dormant. The ass left out that until she could deal with the pain he caused her, she didn't want it to hatch. Medusa refused to take out her anger on an innocent child for its father's sins. Instead boasting he tricked her into giving him the antidote so he was once again a whole man. In reality she brewed it and handed the vial to him personally to show she'd gotten over it. Make no mistake, she still hated his guts but felt around 1800 years was long enough to nurse a broken heart. And deny a child it's life.

On her way past the barflies, Hestia casually mentioned that if he wasn't such a dick he might have _gotten_ his dick back _a lot_ sooner. Laughing at the sound of choking as she sauntered away.

If Deuce turned out anything like his mama, there was a super bad temper under all that awkward teenage fluff. Their boys could be in danger.

So it amused her to see him turn white, snakes drooping as she, not Janice, inquired about the mark he put on their boys. The mark that made Holt and Jackson moan like fucking whores if even brushed by accident.

"Ma'am it was kinda an accident! Honest!" He yelped. "I- I didn't even know I was doing anything. We were just k-kissing and um...I had this, er, really strong urge." his cheeks went rosy.

"Uh huh. Never got this urge with that de Nile chick?"

"Um, no. We were kinda only together cuz it was expected at school. Once we realized that we broke it off." He gulped. "That and I finally accepted I'm gay. Jackson, Holt and I got together after that. Um, before the um, bite."

Standing on the Gorgons' porch, she studied the reptilian teen. Though he looked about to wet himself, he slowly became more confident as he spoke. Almost daring her to challenge his claim on her sons. That look in his eyes reminded the blonde of the fire in Crispen's when told the two of them weren't a good match by his family.

"Hm..." she glared. "Fine. But if I find out you forced this onto them, we'll see how indestructible the Gorgon Prince really is punk. You can tell yer mama I said that too."

Right before she left for her gig, Holt angrily brought up the fact that his boyfriend almost had a heart attack from meeting her for the first time. Ms Gorgon did not appreciate her child being threatened but did understand why it happened. It was well within Hestia or Janice's right to contest the claim's validity and test the suitor's meddle. Though it was usually done in a more professional manner. And the father who might do so but no one was really gonna split hairs about it with a woman/women who kicked like a jackhammer half the time

"Don't worry though mama. Jackie boy and I totally made it up to him." He winked at her after calming down. "Have fun on the Strip!" With that he ran off to school.

"I did not need to hear that you brat!" She roared before plopping down in the cab.

About a month later, when their husband called to tell Janice that their boys were missing, there wasn't a switch then either. Her adrenaline level kinda just crashed and she passed out before they could.

*WTF*

Deuce mulled over Billy's question once they were back at the tower. The change in personality should have caused him concern especially since it was only something that started once they got dumped here. But it didn't. For some reason.

Jackie was still himself just...well. This air of confidence and frigidity seemed odd. Jackson enjoyed the livid look on Stark's face when the billionaire learned he was using JARVIS to hack into them play a GTA game Rockstar was still in the testing phase of. Politely informed SHIELD's director that he was free to poke around in his private files...if the idea of destroying .every computer on their server was appealing. He even had stared down the agents sent to retrieve them and openly insulted their spy skills in this blaise way he never would have at home. Still he relaxed most when in Deuce's arms and used him as furniture whenever possible

Holt had changed too. The fire elemental seemed a bit more homicidal with a way shorter fuse. As Stark could attest to. While fireballs to the face weren't that big a deal in their circles normally, there was some concern when the target was a regular ol' flammable human. Something Hyde gave not one flaming shit (sorry) about and actively tried to roast anyone who annoyed him. Full grown men walked in the opposite direction if he seemed the slightest bit upset. Yet a loving touch from Deuce calmed him down super fast. Almost to kitten level docile.

All of this should be worrying but honestly it was satisfying. The idea that his mates were strong and independent yet still looked to him for some level of protection and comfort in this strange new environment Deuce found appealing. He'd come up with a few theories, most relating to the bite, yet felt odd talking about it with either of them, not wanting the behavior to stop. And he certainly wasn't gonna talk about it with complete strangers.

Spitballing with his bloodies though, that was different. And now possible.

*WTF*

So, managed to flesh out D-baby's origins, squeeze in Janice/Hestia's reaction to their missing sons and begin to explain why Holt and Jackson seem a bit OOC. Yay me!

Love it? Hate it? No strong feelings either way? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	11. Light My Fire

Sup. This chapter takes place after the guys and ghouls vanish and before Professor Steam is rediscovered in the MH world but after the Luna Park excursion in the Avengers-verse. Slowly trying to sync up the happenings guys. Planning for events to soon be concurrent in a chapter.

Onward!

*WTF*

Between the agitated hissing complete with raised fur from the black werecat in the corner; the dour look on the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Geist and the way things were levitating around them; the fact that Mr. Leroux eyes were pitch black with jaw clenched making his half mask much scarier while his wife clutched his shirt looking green (she's supposed to be pink...); as well as Mr. Where sitting terrifyingly still and quiet, one could naturally pity both The Headless Headmistress and the investigators also standing in her office who just told the assembled parents they had no unearthly idea where their children were.

Add to that the dark aura wafting off of Ms. Gorgon slowly adding pressure to the room and the door Hes had just punched out (with a good portion of wall...really hope it wasn't load bearing...) and Crispen Burns began to question the intelligence of having this lil pow wow indoors. Confidentiality be damned.

Was he anxious about his sons? Hells yes. Inside him a volcano raged at "missing", "your children" and "mysterious circumstances" put in the same sentence. Fire elementals were by nature volatile creatures. Yet he knew in order to pursue his dreams, he would need to get a handle on his inherently fiery temper. He also had years of practice and meditative technique mastery that kept Monster High from becoming a towering inferno.

Weed helped a fuck ton too. At the moment he was high as a kite.

The band manager initially sweat bullets over the issue of his employ when the cost to insure the Infernal Fire Brigade went up astronomically. Ironically because when he signed as their new drummer he became the only member who was actually a walking fire hazard. Stixxon Skellington (lead singing skeleton), Axel Slashen (and Orc/ogre hybrid on bass) and Lucie Morningstar (a she devil on keyboard/literally every other instrument known to man and monster) all eventually got sick of explaining why their drummer was passed out on the bus instead of on stage. As a roadie who happened to play drums, Crispen often subbed anyhow so it seemed logical. Since "often subbed" actually meant Ribb hadn't played more than half the shows or appeared for a recording session in the last 2 years.

Yet Pawla Moonracer howled her head off. The skinwalker had no issue with him as a roadie because he was employed by a separate company/independent contractor and thus not really her liability. The instant he signed on the dotted line BLECHO Insurance Inc wanted a word with her. Their agent politely informing the label of the 300% rate increase who in turn demanded to know what the hell she thought she was doing being her only notice of the new hire probably didn't help matters. Nor did the lawsuit Ribbert Skellington filed citing wrongful termination. Publicly calling his own little brother a traitor and Crispen an imposter. After Burns may or may not have incinerated Ribb's Rolls-Royce. No cameras with

no witnesses equalled no non verbal proof. Plus it was just as likely the idiot had been drunk and did it with a cigar and an 80 proof belch on accident.

Here's where knowing the heir of a legal dynasty came in handy. Lucie's grandad made the case that Ribbert himself had defrauded Screamin Meanies Productions. Crispen covering for him at shows wasn't illegal. However telling the company that he compensated his sub when collecting the check yet his bandmates paid Crisp out of pocket was. So was him being listed as drummer on the album credits when he was never in the studio after the first release. He shut up super fast at the mention of an issue 8 figure fraud countersuit (which the label kindly dropped) and the 7 figure defamation one Lucius offered to file on Crispen's behalf (which he filed and won anyway...for twice the amount).

At the mention of the object at the center of the kids' disappearance, a broken idol of Sekmet, Crispen's eye twitched but he otherwise did not react. Instead he casually slid his phone outta his pocket.

C. Burns: Yo, Lucie ?4U

L. Morningstar: Sup?

C. Burns: YR ol man # ASAP?

L. Morningstar: WTFDYDN!?

C. Burns: Nothin. Yet. Lookin to get sbdy in trouble not outta it.

L. Morningstar: U R a rt bstrd 420boy aintcha? WAM

Oh yeah, there's more than one way to burn a bitch.

*WTF*

"Whoa. Back up. Jackson and Holt are being weird, you're not worried and sex with them is way awesome." Porter began. "But you sorta are worried cuz you don't know why they changed. Dude they can't keep their hands off you why are you stressing?" he finished with a flat stare.

Invisibilly was being 'questioned' at the moment. Porter went first thoroughly annoying the agents. Since they wanted untainted answers, neither boy could talk to their friends until they talked to SHIELD first. Holt called bullshit and angrily stomped off an hour ago leaving those two free to chat. Well, they all spent the day together already so what would separate interviews really accomplish?

Sex...was better than awesome and way more enjoyable than with Cleo ever was. Only together about a month and a half, Jackson and Holt were deflowered within 72hrs of the claim. As in drug out to Deuce's car, driven out in the woods and rendered unable to walk properly right after Mr. Demone touched Jackson that day. So submissive and eager to please despite being a virgin. Holt could only be described as a power bottom. Thank the gods he didn't have nearly the strength his brother did or D would have had to explain a broken pelvis to an ER nurse. Hyde hadn't been kidding about riding him like a pony. The few times after didn't have quite the same intensity. Since they've been here in this world though both his lovers had undergone an interesting personality change. Super clingy and the wanton moaning anytime something touched the mark. Nine times out of ten if they were alone, they were fucking too. The casketball captain could sort of understand why Porter saw no issue.

"Geist, shut up." Deuce growled dragging a hand down his face. "I think I know the reason but I'm not 100%. I mean I'm pretty sure no one but me has been dumb enough to ever try and claim someone from their family but being super submissive and docile is the major change in personality I was expecting and scared of. All the books I read back home don't say a thing about this though. I mean Jackson can sweetly smile at someone while sincerely promising to slit their throat. He did exactly that to an agent who tried to separate us when we got dumped here. Hardcore secret agent man will not stand in the same room with him now. Holt's got a serious murderboner for Tony Stark every time the guy opens his mouth. I have never seen him do serious about wanting to do irreparable harm to someone. To be fair every time he talks it's something way rude and Tony seems dead set on getting him to go nova...still! This is a big deal no matter how much I like the fringe benefits!"

"I get it bro. Look, Jekylls and Hydes have an unstable chemistry right? Maaybe that plus your venom made them react kinda wonky to the magic of the claim bite. I mean I'm actually surprised you didn't poison them."

"Nngh!" Deuce put his head down on the table. "What if I did? What if because of me there is something REALLY wrong with them? Like life and death wrong?"

To that the teen specter had no response. Neither did the Avengers and Fury monitoring their conversation via Jarvis and other surveillance.

*WTF*

And I've explained Jackson/Holt as well as touch back on the 'mentally unstable' comment about them from a few chapters ago. Was it worth the wait?

So, their Mama Hyde is more hands on but Jackson/Holt's dad is a pretty laid back. And has no problem wielding the legal system as a weapon to get even. The de Niles might well and truly be screwed. Cookies for anyone who noticed to names I hid in his band. Some might only make sense to me though.

Next chapter will have more parental reactions, how Operetta got to the tower (hint: Fury is NOT happy about how that went down) and I'll try to shed more light on the mysterious Drosselmeyer and his dolls

Text Translation cuz I know not everyone uses the same shorthand. And yes Crispen is a stoner but a productive one. No this doesn't hint at an affair with a bandmate. He's not suicidal n_n

C. Burns: Yo, Lucie ?4U (Yo, Lucie question for you)

L. Morningstar: Sup? (what's up?)

C. Burns: YR ol man # ASAP? (Your dad's number as soon as possible?)

L. Morningstar: WTFDYDN!? (What The Fuck Did You Do Now?!)

C. Burns: Nothin. Yet. Lookin to get sbdy in trouble not outta it. (Nothing. Yet. Looking to get somebody in trouble not out of it.)

L. Morningstar: U R a rt bstrd 420boy aintcha? WAM (You are a right bastard aren't you weed boy? Wait a minute.)

Love it? Hate it? No strong feelings either way? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


	12. Trick of the Light

Warning: The following chapter contains the blessed marriage of science and straight up bullshit that make comic books possible. Just techy enough to fool the average person but could either seriously distress one of that field of study trying to prove/disprove it or be utterly dismissed as nonsense.

The answers to life's mysteries get weird in a world where science and magic exist and may or may not be mutually exclusive.

The time lines still don't quite line up, but you might start to see just why they don't. In the Marvel verse, this is in the days right after the Luna Park incident. In Monster High, after the ghouls venture into the catacombs looking for clues.

*WTF*

One would not assume that at a school that strived to teach budding mutants defense, the arts weren't that important. One Hanako Yamada would beg to differ. The petite asian woman looked about her classroom at the recent projects made by her students. A crude sculpture of a growling for legged animal reminded her of the man she fondly calls 'niisan'. Who gave her her name. Both names.

Ten short years ago, she was a confused and frightened wandering in the wilderness of Canada when she happened to meet a gruff man by the name of Logan. Not his real name but like her, he couldn't exactly remember it so he gave himself one. Their meeting was less than encouraging; freaked out at the wild looking guy who approaching her, she threw up her hands and a strange light blinded the ever loving fuck out out him. How was she supposed to know he was just trying to see if she was okay? She was further distressed to learn due to his mutation had it been really anyone else, their retinas would never have recovered. Fortunately this becomes an asset in training her abilities. Over the course of 3 years, she learns to tone down the wattage enough to only temporarily cause loss of vision. By accident she eventually learns to create visual illusions and even camouflage things, including herself, by warping the visible spectrum. But that aspect of her ability was decidedly harder to do when she was stressed.

Then that whole business with Magneto drew far more attention to the 'mutant menace' and Logan-niisan no longer felt it safe for them to be nomadic. Both stood out too much as a pair, the vast contrast pretty striking. Him looking like a scary mountain man, her looking like a pixy doll made them pretty memorable so if they were revealed as mutants, it made hiding from the mob much harder. Luckily Logan-niisan had heard of Xavier's work in promoting peaceful relations...and "the cueball owes me a favor."

So, they found themselves as teachers. Well, Logan-niisan did as a combat/survival instructor, she didn't really know what she could offer. With no memories before Logan-niisan, she was rather unsure of herself. She liked artsy things but what good would that be? As it stood, she lived there rent free, trained in the danger room and had even been given a codename, Amaterasu (or Lady Su for those with lazier tongues) but never thought she was good enough to go out on missions. Despite Logan-niisan insisting he was paying the way for them both, as long as she was able bodied, Hanako believed she should be doing something to earn her keep. Then Xavier-san introduced her to Rasputin-sensei, the art teacher. The professor reasoned that her mutation could come in handy as his assistant.

She found it kind of funny that a Russian version of Schwarzenegger who was able to coat his body in steel and chuck a car clear across a field spends his daylight hours astutely teaching children the difference between Manet and Monet. He found it funny that she was so small and teased her about it. The two got along like a house on fire.

When Piotr was injured on a mission, she took over his classes. And found a new student in the front row, a little blond girl named Illyana with the same soft blue eyes.

"You take to teaching like duck to water, da? I think it is time for me to invest myself more in the X-men as a team. I came here to find my sister, and now that I have I wish to do all I can to protect her. Is good way to repay Xavier for his work in reuniting us too." he told her from his hospital bed.

"You won't leave?"

"Nyet. I will admit when I agreed to become x-man, I intended to cut and run once Xavier delivered on his promise of rescuing her. I had been used before you see, that is how I lost her to HYDRA- only I escaped. For long time I felt...ah...like small man pretending to be big. What kind of brother abandons his only family? Innocent and vulnerable? I was angry and distrustful; the one who promised he had come to free us tricked me. Was supposed to get rid of me since they had their true objective. I fight back once I learn truth, they crash plane with me and shady agent on board."

"That's horrible!" She gasped. Hanako knew people could be cruel but...

"Da, it is. But in my time here, I have learned to trust again. And I believe what makes Illyana target is best developed here. No where is completely safe, just some places safer than others. And if it comes to it, here is best for her to be when I am no longer here."

"Piotr stop it. You broke your legs, you aren't dying." she shook her head, exasperated.

"Not now but sometime. Everyone does."

That conversation had been almost 5 years ago. Logan-niisan vanished on occasion but always came back, she could not fault him in his quest for answers to her past. The Rasputin siblings remained at the mansion, the younger quite the budding enchantress... despite Bobby's insistence that their powers do not work like that. When she stuck him upside down to a wall with her 'nonexistent' magic that not even Jean could undo, he recanted his statement.

And only in the last year had she felt comfortable sharing a secret only Logan-niisan knew about the locket she wore everyday. Inside a picture of her, a small boy with light blue skin and a man with his face completely bandaged. The kanji for heart engraved on the opposite half.

Perhaps Charles could find her family as well.

*WTF*

If anyone bothered to ask, the issue of the strange persona shifts could probably be explained by either Jackson or Holt. But no one did, preferring to go about it the hard way. Their mate terrified that he had ruined them somehow. And SHIELD wary that the pair were timebombs.

While Fury perused the data collected in the physical exams of each boy, he grew more and more baffled. The one with the closest thing to normal DNA turned out to be the little blue boy.

One of his parents had been human. The other whatever the hell these kids were. From the series of interviews (coughinterogationscough, cough) they gathered that his mother was normal, his father The Invisible Man. According to what was known in literature,in his fascination by it an experiment with light refraction had caused the man to become as he is. Only he had been affected and had died by the tale's end.

According to Mr. Where, his father's accident was the result of being an unwilling participant in said experiment. An entire breed of monster had been spawned by a group of scientists trying to create an army of sorts. In total, nearly 7500 men, women and children were victims over the course of the Victorian era. Only around 500 survived the transformation and of those only 200 had lived beyond that first night. Each sharing genetic quirks that enabled their molecular structure to remain stable instead of unraveling like a broken string of pearls. The more Fury thought on it, the more this quirk presented itself as a proto X-gene. Especially after learning that these individuals tended to be unable to pass their specific modification on to their children; almost always taking after their other parent or presenting as something else entirely. As Billy had told them, eventually, he was a special snowflake doctors had wanted to study from birth being the only child born to a human mother and one of only 3 to inherit the vanishing act. Once his mother was certain he wasn't going to die or contract some terminal affliction, she politely told the the scientific community to fuck off.

How willing the boy was to spill something so personal after just meeting these people gave some pause for concern even though monitoring during his session confirmed he wasn't just yanking their fact that for 2 hour straight he seemed intent on wasting their time didn't help the situation. Knowing that they had pretty much worn him down with the a food bribe made up for that somewhat. But, could this mean that the various species of this other world were merely decades, centuries worth of human genetic mutation naturally evolving? No true species barrier seemed to exist between monster and monster or human and monster as for the most part they could still interbreed and not produce sterile offspring. If the hybrids in Jekyll's video were anything to go on.

That theory was somewhat complicated by Porter. The poltergeist was simply energy in corporeal form. Even his clothes. Though he demonstrated he had the ability to infuse objects with that energy when out of boredom he began to play with at pen on the table. The pen took on a faint green glow and became slightly translucent as he willed it to roll to and fro. He showed that if he changed clothing, the garments too became charged with this energy the instant he put them on. Becoming see thru like him. And his origins were...disturbing.

Mr. Geiss had not been born into his family. While adoption on the face of it wasn't exactly foreboding, the reason for it was. Poltergeists literally formed as a result of traumatic incidents in the world of the living. The product of intense psychic feedback. The ghost world took great care to rescue 'newborns' and place them with similar ghosts in their own realm. Porter swore most don't recall how they were born. Though to observers, he obviously remembered how own birth, but didn't wish to share. The pain in his eyes as he explained gave that away. He really didn't have to in order to set their minds a buzz with ideas. All of them pretty dark. The common consensus was the happy go lucky spirit most likely came to be from an event full of blood and death.

In the interest of preserving everyone's collective sanity (and safety) the specs on Deuce and Jackson/Holt were shared with Stark. This pacified him for a little while.

Basically, the Gorgon boy appeared to show what humans would be like if they evolved from reptiles. Not exactly cold blooded, just with an average body temp of about 81 degrees fahrenheit, he liked heat better than cold and naturally gravitated to warm things. Sunny window, his boyfriends, etc. The markings on his arms were in fact softer versions of the scales that plated his scalp, not tattooes. Though the scientists couldn't explain why his nails could lengthen into those deadly claws or where the poison in the tips came from since they weren't hollow. Unlike the fangs in his upper jaw which according to scanners shared their structure with that of venomous snakes, just not the placement. The teeth were not hinged but like his nails could extend to twice the already longer than human average length. The two on his lower jaw did not. His forked tongue became visible when he hissed. And yes he was dually endowed. Which prompted Tony to shout "I KNEW IT!" One tech also noticed the unique oral arrangement perfectly matched the bite on the juncture of Jackson/Holt's neck and shoulder. That little conversation between Gorgon and Where validated it's reason for being there.

Most likely some hold over of primal instinct, the mark's purpose did indeed signify possession. The idea of partnership had been ruled out simply for lack of a reciprocating blemish on Deuce. The bite was meant to show who the slighter boy belonged to. The conversation further proved the usual effect of the mark changed the persona of the one marked to be submissive to the one who does the marking. While grateful this hadn't been the case with them, a shift had occurred. Jekyll had become more cold, calculating and direct while his Hyde side's aggression had skyrocketed. Primarily aimed at Stark. Thought to be fair, Tony did little to help his case.

The only 'normal' one out of the 4 had DNA that looked like gibberish. No one knew what to make of it. After half listening to a rant on why nothing put together that way should even be able to function much less reproduce, He sort of ignored those working on it until they had something coherent to say other than they truly are two distinct people inhabiting one body. Nick sighed and turned his attention to the display of the one of the Tower's more secured floors.

"What the fuck?!"

*WTF*

The sound of a guitar had drawn Hawkeye to the common area frequented by the Avengers. To his knowledge no one in the tower was musician but this sound wasn't being projected through speakers.

"Uh, JARVIS, is here an intruder?" He had queried before reaching the door.

"Negative Mr. Barton. All occupants have appropriate clearance." The AI replied.

"So Tony hired someone with enough spare time to sit around and play country?"

"Negative. The individual in question is not on SHIELD or Stark Industries' payroll."

"Not on- what the hell does that mean?" That wasn't possible. To be on any floor higher than 25, you had to either be in SHIELD's pocket or in Tony's employ. The former being the case more often than the latter. Far from helpless without his bow, Clint stealthily entered only to pause, bewildered. Seated on the sectional was indeed a young girl. With some strange features.

Red hair deeper than Nat's with a few black streaks and arranged in a style he hadn't seen since pictures of Peggy Carter in the Captain America exhibit. A cute face framed with mismatched dice earrings and a sparkly half note/dripping heart mashup shaped mask over her left eye. Doing a poor job of concealing either the eye or the intricate music themed markings on that side of her face and neck. More of it seemed to be present on that arm as well. While wearing decidedly modern shirt, jeans and belt, her shoes looked like a 50's two toned saddle shoes combined with a high wedge. Musical trills serving as the heels.

"Well how-do?" She beamed, having stopped strumming the instant she saw him.

For the first time in his life, Hawkeye was utter speechless. How the hell had she gotten up here and not tripped a single alarm or be noticed by anyone?! And how could she be listed as authorised?! After a few awkward moments, her cheery expression turned flat.

"Suga; you gots somethin to say?" Her voice colored with southern twang scoffed."I get that Ima ravishin beauty an all but could ya do somethin less creepy than jus gawk at me?"

"You're purple." Was all he could get his mouth to say.

"And yer pasty but I wasn't gonna be rude and point it out. I only came in here on account of I got the news ya'll was lookin fer us." She said. "I'm Operetta Leroux."

About here is where Fury made his exclamation. Sure the tabloids had a field day with the headline "Monsters in NYC" but no official statement had been given nor was there any way for it to be known said monsters were in Avengers Tower. Yes SHIELD had shown up at Luna Park but all the credible sources speculated they were being held in a SHIELD facility.

"No one has that information." Clint snapped into Avenger mode.

"Well, somebody does. Seein as I got an media alert on my iCoffin." She held up a device that looked just like the ones the boys had. Their world's version of a smartphone. Pressing play, an upbeat tempo played. Accompanied by a heavily autotune voice. Without any actual context, the lyrics seemed creepy. "This is one 'a our school songs. The bit at the end has some words sped up super fast and don't match the beat but I slowed 'em down."

"You don't have to run and hide, ghoulfriend. You're not alone. You have friends at 200 Park Avenue." the voice wasn't singing but a young girl simply speaking.

"Mr. JARVIS let me in and I done been here all afternoon."

"What the hell?!" Barton unknowingly almost parroted his boss.

*WTF*

"Honestly, this is too much work!" The voice from the recording huffed, slumping in exhaustion. Her magic nearly spent. Sending that signal would have been so much easier and taken way less time if the elder deNile wasn't such a derp and shattered such a vital dimensional key. Whatever, she still served her purpose. At least all the kids were safe, just not exactly together. But that would change soon.

She smile at the steaming mug that was set beside her and the flash of brown hair that followed. The bubbles on the pattern lazily floating like they were being projected on the porcelain.

"Cousin dear, you've earned a break. Right on schedule for tea time."

"Thank you Marie. Whatever is uncle up too?"

"Father's preparing for our friend's return to the waking world. Robecca found Hexiciah but will be unable to revive him until father has completed the potion." Marie sighed. "Though why he waited so long to brew it escapes me"

"Perhaps it has a short shelf life cousin. No sense in wasting a perfectly good batch of ingredients if we weren't even sure when the ghouls would find him."

"Ever the thinker you are Clara. I do so hope he forgives us for trapping him."

"I should think so. If not for us he'd be the sort of dead there's no coming back from!" Red locks swayed as she gently blew the steam from her tea.

*WTF*

HA! I did all three things I promised. Now we know how Operetta got into the tower, Drosselmeyer's dolls appear and yes there IS a parent reaction in here.

Yes I am aware that the scene with Colossus may not make much sense in context of the comics but the again neither do most of the Xmen movies so screw it. It's main purpose was to establish Hanako as a character as well as somehow tie the separately owned properties (Marvel/Disney and 20th Century hold the rights) a common thread, HYDRA.

Love it? Hate it? No strong feelings either way? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!


End file.
